Analyzing the Salt Level in Different Soil Textures

Analyzing the Salt Level in Different Soil Textures Jason Jarabejo Rafael Celis Joshua Mikael Ramos Hagin Busto Santos Angelo Wesley Pangilinan Chapter I Introduction BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY The main goal of this research is to fully understand how salt level varies in different soil compositions. The first fundamental topic for this research came from The Effects of Sodium Chloride Solution on the growth of Tomato Plants (Lycopersicon esculentum) (Larsen, 2007), a study concerning the effect of high salinity level on farming and the factors affecting it. Sodium Chloride (NaCl) or commonly known as salt or halite was used in marking territories because it yields the growth of plants on fields enforced with salt. The scientific reason for this is because salt acts as an opposing agent against the plant’s ability to sip water through the soils cracks. This research will focus on the analysis of the salt level in different soil textures. The gathered salinity levels will be analyzed and compared to know which soil textures will have a reading precisely close to moderate regular salinity levels. Based on the procedure on measuring salinity by (Queensland, 2007) we will use, the regular salinity margin is 1.5-4 dS/m which is ranged from slightly saline that has minimal effect to moderately saline which has restricted effects. It can also be translated to 15%-40% salinity. But to get more precise readings, 27.5% will be marked as the basis of regular salinity level. For this research, we will limit the field of measurement in a regular setting for the electrical conductivity measurement to control the level and for it to remain constant. Using soil salt level field test, we compare reading of salt level in each soil texture. Thus arriving at the main purpose of this research which is to analyze the salt levels in different soil textures and assess the results using Soil Salinity Field Test. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM Main Problem: Which soil texture will give a salt level that will approximately be the closest to the regular salinity level mark? Hypothesis: The loam soil. Because it is moderately coarse, has less cation exchange capacity, and has a high water infiltration rate to wash the salt. Sub problems: How does the salt level of each soil composition differ from the mixed soil textures? Does the difference between the soil compositions have relevance to its permeability? What measurements are used when it comes to salt level? OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY Main Objective: To analyze the salinity level in different soil composition Specific objective: To assess the factors that affect the salt level in various soil textures. Specific objective: To identify which type of soil texture can resist salt intrusions considering its bad impact on plants. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY When the problem about the salt level affecting wet land and dry land farming was encountered, it gave a potential to this research and formed a basic study. The main goal of this research is to gain knowledge on of the leading causes in failure of farming, and that is the high level of salts. And at the same time, it might find a better solution by finding an efficient way in controlling it through soil composition comparison. The Effects of Sodium Chloride Solution on the growth of Tomato Plants (Lycopersicon esculentum) (Larsen, 2007) Physiology of Salt Tolerance: Annual Review of Plant Physiology (Leon Bernstein and H. E. Hayward, Agricultural Research Division 2000) serves as the first fundamental research for our paper. SCOPE AND LIMITATION The coverage of this research is about the analysis of the salt level in different soil textures. This study covers the Properties of Sodium Chloride which includes its physical properties such as its crystalline form and hypotonic property. Also, the Effect of Level of Salinity in Wet land and dry land farming such as Dehydration and Stabilization. In relation with the part of analyzing the salinity, this research will specifically use Soil salinity yield test. Other topics which will not be covered by the said topics will be excluded from the study and will not affect the research. Chapter II – Review of Related Literature SALINITY Salinity is the amount of salt in a body of water or in soil. Salinity in the soil is caused by natural processes such as mineral weathering or the gradual withdrawal of an ocean (Graaff, 2001)It can also be caused by artificial processes such as irrigation. Dry land salinity occurs when the water table is between two to three meters from the surface of the soil. Also occurs on landscapes that are not irrigated. The salts from the groundwater are raised by capillary action to the surface of the soil. This occurs when groundwater is saline and is favored by land use practices allowing more rainwater to enter the aquifer than it could accommodate. Salinity from irrigation can occur over time, because almost all water contains some dissolved salts. When the plants use the water, the salts are left behind in the soil and eventually begin to accumulate. Since soil salinity makes it more difficult for plants to absorb soil moisture, these salts must be leached out of the plant root zone by applying additional water. Salinization from irrigation water is also greatly increased by poor drainage and use of saline water for irrigating agricultural crops. Salinity greatly affects agriculture because of the fact that salinity in soil produces salt that dehydrates the plant. Buildup of salt within the plants itself also has great effect on them, it shows older leaves which has long exposure to excess salt. The signs that indicate salinity is too high for a plant are slow and stunted growth, small stunted fruits, increased in succulence of leaves, leaves may be darker green or bluish green and leaves may turn yellow or brown, mottle and drop off from the plant. According to (Blaylock, 2004) it happens when too much salts accumulate in the root zone, causing the plants to exert more energy to extract the water from the soil that also gives plants stress. The salinity in the soil is dependent in soil type, climate, weather, use and irrigation routines. As the plants absorbs the water and also the loss of water due to evaporation, the soil salinity then increases because salts become more concentrated. Thus, evapotranspiration between irrigation periods can further increase the soil salinity. Salinity can also affect the physical property of soil by causing fine particles to bind together into aggregates that is known as Flocculation. Flocculation is beneficial in terms of soil aeration, root penetration and root growth. Although soil salinity has a positive effect on soil aggregation and stabilization, but too much salt can negatively affect them and potentially lethal to plants. The primary physical processes associated with high sodium conc entrations are soil dispersion and clay platelet and aggregate swelling. According to (J.D, 1977), salt is a clear to white crystalline mineral that is orthorhombic. It has a boiling point of 1,413  °C and a melting point of 801  °C. Also have a hardness of 2.5 according to the moh’s scale and a density of 135 lb/ft. Salt is also the product of salinity which affects the growth of plants. Sodium Chloride or salt is essential to plant and animal life but can be harmful to both if used at excessive amounts. Salt is also used in food preservation which is called salting and is also one of the oldest known seasoning for foods. In humans, salt is needed in order for the body to survive but as stated earlier, too much salt may cause harmful effects such as high blood pressure in some sensitive individuals. Sandy soil is simply a type of soil that contains visible large particles to the naked eye, usually light in color and stays loose allowing moisture to penetrate easily. It is granular and contains very small rocks and mineral particles. It is form ed by disintegration and weathering of rocks and is easier to cultivate when rich in organic material. It is good for plants since it lets the water go off so that it does not remain near the roots and lead them to decay. SOIL TEXTURE (P., 2009)The forces that bind clay particles together are disrupted when too many large sodium ions come between them. When this separation occurs, the clay particles expand, causing swelling and soil dispersion. Soil dispersion causes clay particles to plug soil pores, resulting in reduced soil permeability. Increased amounts of calcium and magnesium can reduce the amout of sodium-induced dispersion. Soil dispersion hardens soil and blocks water infiltration, making it difficult for plants to establish and grow. The decrease in decomposition causes soils to become infertile, black alkali soils. The main concerns related to the relationship between salinity and sodicity of irrigation water are the effects on soil infiltration rates and hydraulic conductivities. Essentially, the swelling factor predicts whether sodium-induced dispersion or salinity-induced flocculation will more greatly affect soil physical properties. As said in (A.L., 2000). Soil composition plays an important role in all aspects of irrigated agriculture, and the role of soil texture with respect to effects of salinity and sodicity is no exception. Soil texture helps determine how much water will be able to passthrough the soil, how much water the soil can store, and the ability of sodium to bind to the soil. The three main clay types are montmorillonite, illite, and kaolinite clays. On the microscopic scale, each of these clays has a different lattice structure, i.e., different building blocks. This directly affects the ability of sodium to bind to each type. Basically, the more Silt is granular material of a size somewhere between sand and clay whose mineral origin is quartz and feldspar. May be found as a soil or settled under a body of water. Silt has a moderate specific area with a typically non-sticky, plastic feel. Silt usually has a floury feel when dry, and a slippery feel when wet. Silt can be visually observed with a hand lens. It is a loose sedimentary material with rock particles usually 1/20 millimeter or less in diameter also contains 80 percent or more of such silt and less than 12 percent of clay. Clay is heavy, sticky, fine grained soil that combines one or more clay minerals with traces of metal oxides and organic matter. It is mainly composed of fine particles of hydrous aluminum silicates and other minerals, and that is used for brick, tile, and pottery. Clay, a fine grained soil, also differ with the other fine grained soils by means of size and mineralogy. Sand is a granular material that is mainly composed of finely divided rocks and minerals that is very tiny and loose. It came from the disintegration of rocks, consists of particles smaller than gravel but coarser than silt, and is used in mortar, glass, abrasives, and foundry molds. The composition of sand is highly variable, depending on the local rock sources and conditions, but the most common constituent of sand in inland continental settings and non-tropical coastal settings is silica usually in the form of quartz. Loam is the mixture of sand, silt, and clay. Specifically, 40% silt, 40% sand, and 20% clay. These proportions can vary to a degree however, and result in different types of loam soils. This type of soil is good for growing plants because it contains more nutrients, moisture, and humus than sandy soils, have better drainage and infiltration of water and air than silt soils, and are easier to till than clay soils. ELECTROMAGNETISM/ELECTROMAGNETIC INDUCTION It is produced when electricity and magnetism were `unified. The existing connection develops from the fact that an electric current (the flow of electrons in a metal) produces a magnetic field. Electromagnetic induction is the production of a potential difference of voltage across a conductor when it is exposed to a varying magnetic field. SOIL SALINITY FIELD TEST SSFT is a procedure done by (Agriculture, 2000) to measure the salinity level in your soil. It is a test verified by NSW Agriculture in November 8, 2000 but claimed to be less accurate than lab tests by estimated 10%. Its objectives are to assess the salinity level of salinity and texture of the soil sample. A research by (Larsen, 2007) explained the effect of sodium chloride solution on the growth of tomato plants. Its primary objective is to determine how different concentrations of a solution of sodium chloride affect primary growth in tomato plants. CATION-EXCHANGE CAPACITY (CEC) CEC s the number of exchangeable cations, an ion that has a positive charge per dry weight that a soil is capable of holding at a given pH value, and available for exchange with soil water solution. It is used to measure of soil fertility, nutrient retention capacity, and the capacity to protect groundwater from cation contamination. BASE SATURATION The Fraction of exchangeable cations that are base cations (Ca, Mg and K ). The higher the amount of exchangeable base cations, the moreaciditycan beneutralizedin the short time perspective. Thus, a soil with high cation-exchange capacity takes longer time to acidify (as well as to recover from an acidified status) than a soil with a low cation-exchange capacity (assuming similar base saturations). UNIT OF MEASUREMENT FOR CEC meq/100g. or lb/acre. translation from meq/100g to lb/acre, for available nutrients, can be made by calculating, that considers the ion’s valence, atomic weight, and by estimating the soil depth and its density. THINGS THAT AFFECT CEC pH Level CEC is dependent on pH level, due to the Hofmeister series, which describes the relative strength of various Cations’ absorption to colloids. When soil acidity increases, pH decreases, more H+ ions are attached to cations. Inversely, when soil becomes more basic, pH increases, the available cations in solution decreases because there are fewer H+ ions to push cations into the soil solution from the colloids ( CEC increases ). ORGANIC MATTER Organic matter increases the CEC in soil by increasing its available negative charges. Organic matter in soil gives, usually, a positive impact on soil fertility. LIBRARY DETERMINATION extraction with ammonium acetate -Silver-thiourea method (one-step centrifugal extraction ) Chapter III – Materials and Methods METHODOLOGY COLLECTION Gather and prepare 7 containers. After, collect soils of different soil textures with at least 150g each. After collecting the soil textures, prepare 50g of sodium chloride for each sample. PREPARARATION Prepare the gathered materials. The 3 experimental setups will each have 3 containers which will contain the main soil composition and the other mixture of soil composition. Classify each container according to soil composition. Put at least 500 grams of assigned soil composition. To control extraneous variables between each soil, each will be given respective amounts of water in accordance to their usual hydraulic level. And all will be exposed to the same environmental features. And since Silt Soils are most common in successful farming, it will serve as the control group. TREATMENT To ensure the regularity of the amount of soil, the researchers will conduct first observations after applying controlled variables. Using soil salinity yield test, measure the amount of salinity of the 3 main soil composition. Then after ensuring their regularity, do the same procedure to the control group which will be the silt soil and the remaining set-ups of mixed soil compositions. After recording the salinity level, apply 5 parts of water per 1 part of soil. At least 2.5 liters of 25% saline water must be added to each experimental unit. After letting the mixture set, apply the Soil Salinity Field Test. Take a soil sample and leave it to dry as long as possible (leave sample bag or container open for at least a day to let moisture escape). It can be oven-dried on a tray in a cool oven. The samples must be crushed and dried so there are no large aggregates (clods of soil 2mm or larger). You may need to crush these aggregates with a mortar-and-pestle, rolling pin or hammer. Remo ve any foreign Matter, plant material and stones from the sample. The test involves adding one part soil for every five parts of water. So if you add 50g of soil (weighed on scales) to the testing container, then you need to add 250ml of water. Shake the container for three minutes to make sure the salts dissolve. For clay loams and clay soils, more shaking (for one minute every 3 minutes repeated three times) will bring more salts into the solution and increase the accuracy of the test. Allow the solution to settle for a minute before testing. Place the salinity meter in the solution (but not in the soil in the bottom of the jar) and read the display once it has stabilized. Wash the meter electrodes and sample jar with distilled or rainwater, and dry. Convert your salinity meter readings to soil salinity (ECe) by multiplying the value by the Conversion Factor based on the texture of the soil sample. For sand multiply it to a factor of 17. For Loams multiply by factor of 9.5. Clay l oams and light loams will be multiplied by 8.6 and sandy loams by 13.8. After replications of procedures, increase the salinity level content of the water applied to the soil by 25% until it reaches a max percentage of 75% salinity level. At the end of the experiment, gather the data that was recorded. Analyze and compare the gathered data as to which soil composition gave a salinity reading that is approximately the closest to the regular salinity level mark. Flowchart  ­Ã‚ ­ Statistical Treatment: One-Way ANOVA Bibliography and Sources A.L., M. (2000). Role of Soil Composition in agriculture. Retrieved from Soil compositions. Agriculture, N. (2000, October). How to Texture Soils Test for Salinity. Retrieved from Salinity notes: http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/168866/texture-salinity.pdf Blaylock, A. D. (2004). How Salinity can greatly affect Soil Production. Retrieved from Effects of Salinity level on Soil. Graaff, V. d. (2001). Salinity : Overview. Retrieved from Salinity. J.D, R. (1977). Salt or Sodium Chloride Properties. Retrieved from Salt. Larsen, S. (2007, October 15). The effects of Sodium Chloride (NaCl) Solution on the growth of tomato plants (Lycopersicon esculentum). Retrieved from https://www.pcc.edu/library/sites/default/files/sodium-chloride.pdf P., S. (2009). Soil composition properties. Retrieved from Soil Composition. Queensland. (2007, July). Natural Resources. Retrieved from Facts Land Series: http://222065430381538974.weebly.com/uploads/1/1/5/2/11520542/measuring_salinity_-_derm.pdf Chapter IV – Data Analysis and Research Findings Chapter V – Discussions and Recommendations Summary Purpose of the Study The purpose of this study was to analyze the salt level in different soil textures. For the researchers to be able to identify which soil composition/s give salt level that is approximately the closes to the regular salt level mark. Restatement of Research Questions The research questions for this study were: (1) To identify the variability of salinity level when two soil compositions are mixed. (2) How does the salinity level of each soil composition differ from the mixed soil compositions? (3) Does the difference between the soil compositions have relevance to its permeability? Research Methodology The researchers used qualitative research method. Conclusion The findings in this study indicate that loamy sand has the most salt tolerance than the other samples we have gathered and clay having the lowest.

The Great Gatsby :: essays research papers

The Use of Symbolism in The Great Gatsby   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby is about a man named Gatsby and his struggle to attain the American Dream in 1920’s Long Island. He fights to get his dream woman and to do so, he must first become rich. Unfortunately, he doesn’t really go about it the right way; he takes part in some illegal activities with some quite sinister characters, such as Meyer Wolfshiem. The corruption of Gatsby’s dream and his struggle to attain his dream are shown by F. Scott Fitzgerald through the use of symbolism, such as Gatsby’s car, the eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg, and Gatsby stretching his arms out towards the green light across the bay.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Gatsby has a car that is an important symbol in this novel. Gatsby’s car represents many problems in the society at that time. His car is very elaborate, â€Å"It was a rich cream color, bright with nickel, swollen here and there in its monstrous length with triumphant hatboxes and supper-boxes and tool-boxes, and terraced with a labyrinth of windshields that mirrored a dozen suns†(Fitzgerald 68). It symbolizes the irresponsibility of society and the differences between the old rich and the classlessness of the new rich. It is also the car that Gatsby buys to impress Daisy and that hits Myrtle Wilson, eventually leading to Gatsby’s death.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another symbol in this book is the big billboard with the eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg on it: Above the gray land and the spasms of bleak dust which drift endlessly over it, you perceive, after a moment, the eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg. The[y]†¦ are blue and gigantic- their retinas are one yard high. They look from no face but, instead from a pair of enormous yellow spectacles which pass over a nonexistent nose(Fitzgerald 27). This billboard represents the eyes of God looking out over the vast wasteland of moral corruption and dying hope. Some might have even said that since the doctor had long abandoned the area, God might have left, also.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Then, there are a few symbols all combined into one. This is the image of Gatsby with his arms stretched out towards the green light across the bay, which is repeated at the end of the novel, â€Å"fifty feet away a figure had emerged from the shadow of my neighbors mansion†¦. it was Mr. Gatsby himself†¦. he stretched out his arms toward†¦.

Identify Some of the Factors That Make People Help Others.

Identify some of the factors that make people help others. Who helps the most, and in what cases (whom) are they especially likely to help? Illustrate your answer with examples. Giedrius Statkus Department of Psychology, Keynes College, CT2 7NP Identify some of the factors that make people help others. Who helps the most, and in what cases (whom) are they especially likely to help? Illustrate your answer with examples. Many different factors have been shown to influence people’s willingness to help others. The motive behind certain type of help can be certain rewards for helping however other types of help do not always appear to have a clear motive. This was noted by Comte (1875 as cited in Batson & Shaw 1991, Baumaister & Bushman, 2011) who studied the question of helping others, philosophically and suggests that there are two key types of help displayed by people. He describes these as either Egoistic Helping (EH) or Altruistic Helping (AH). The former refers to the type of help where an individual is clearly aware of a reward for performing the help, such as can be seen in some volunteers workers, whose clear reward is experience and recommendations. The latter however refers to situations where an individual’s willingness to help is unaided by any conscious reward. AH behaviour can be seen in such examples as helping a broken down stranger fix a car tyre on a road (Pomzal & Clore, 1973 as cited in Baumaister & Bushman, 2011). The factors influencing the latter type of help are the ones mainly considered throughout this essay. However these factors have a varied effect on different people, this variation can be based on gender, age and other individual differences. It has been suggested that one major factor influencing the willingness of people to perform AH is empathy (Batson, Batson, Slingsby, Harrell, Peekna & Todd, 1991). The theory suggests that individuals witnessing someone in need of help, as they are displaying distress or pain, will experience similar feelings themselves. This is supported by many studies (Baumaister & Bushman, 2011) however of key importance are studies conducted via observing the process of empathy in the brain using Functioning Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) (Singer, Seymour, O’Doherty, Kaube, Dolan & Firth, 2004). In their study participants were subjected to electric shocks while undergoing an fMRI scan, after that they had to watch as their spouses undergo the electric shocks. The scans showed that the brain’s responses were similar, for both conditions, and that witnessing the shocks and receiving them affected the same areas of the brain. Other studies have also found empathy between emotional states such as happiness or sadness and other situations (Singer, Seymour, O’Doherty, Kaube, Dolan & Firth, 2004). Therefore this confirms Batson’s et al. (1991) suggestion that if an individual is witnessing someone in distress, he also experiences some distress and therefore helping that person would be the fastest way to relieve it. There are many other factors playing roles in influencing willingness to help, however many of them may also be explained via empathy. As these other factors may increase or decrease empathy which could result in increased willingness to help. The fact that reward in AH is not obvious is not to say that it does not exist. As mentioned previously the relieving of distress may be one form of reward experienced through AH. Other rewards to be considered may be the need for praise or some sort of award (Batson, et al. 1988 as cited in Baumaister & Bushman, 2011). Another motivation may be fear of punishment, often in the form of social disproval, the fear of people knowing you could of helped, but did not. This can aid understanding of AH on an evolutionary and survival basis. As in some cases AH may mean less resources or putting oneself in danger (Dawkins 1988 as cited in Baumaister & Bushman, 2011) it can be said that such behaviour is counterproductive to survival. Except in clear cases of close family AH, where the help would favour the survival of the helping individual’s genes either way. However modern human survival, and therefore chance of reproduction, is highly dependent on social acceptance (Coie, Dodge & Coppotelli, 1982). Therefore avoidance of punishment, in the form of social disproval is often a sufficient reward for AH. Empathy can be seen as a major aspect of other factors influencing willingness to help too, for example it has been shown that people feel more empathy for people similar (Frans, 2008) and are more willing to help based on similarity between them and the person needing help, such as similar clothes (Eimswiller, Deux & Willts, 1971 as cited in Baumaister & Bushman, 2011), personal values (Batson, Duncan, Ackerman, Buckley & Birch, as cited in Batson & Shaw, 1991) and other features. This may be because people are more likely to experience empathy for people who are ore like them instead of someone who is very different. This can be seen in Batson’s et al. (1981 as cited in Batson & Shaw, 1991) study where participants who believed a person undergoing electric shocks held personal values that were very different to the participants’ values, were less likely to take the victim’s place and receive shocks instead of them. This is supported by the green beard theory, a term coined by Dawkins (1976 as cited in West & Gardener, 2010) in reference to a theoretical gene that would encode the information of a green beard and make green bearded people more likely to help others with a green beard. In this theory the green beard is an example of an obvious visual feature. Although just a theoretical principal for which the relevant genes have only been observed in the study of micro-organisms (West & Gardener, 2010) and other far less genetically complex, than humans, life forms (Fostner, Wensler & Ratnier, 2006). It is suggested that a much more complex system may be a viable genetic explanation for the way in which AH is influenced by people with similar features. Although the theory is criticised in its current state as it has been said that one allele would be incapable of encoding and identifying all the relevant information necessary (Henrich 2001). This however led others (Jansen & Baalen, 2006) to suggest that, instead, a number of genes could encode some features of appearance, or a â€Å"visable tag† (West & Gardener, 2010, p. 1344), and a separate, gene would encode the ability to recognise similarity and influence AH when it is recognised. For example it has been shown that people empathise more with close members of their family (Frans, 2007). As well as being more willing to help them (Burnstein, Crandall & Kitayama, 1994). This was especially true for close members of the family such as siblings. The willingness to help was found to decrease as the family ties grew weaker. In all cases people were three times more likely to help close family members such as siblings than nephews and cousins, they were even less likely to help strangers or friends. This was especially true if the sibling in question is a monozygotic twin of the individual (Burnstein, Crandall & Kitayama, 1994). The willingness to help for un-identical twins was considerably lower, by up to half as willing, suggesting that AH is an important behaviour for successful evolution and survival as it favours identical genes. This staggering difference between identical gene siblings and dizygotic twins could also be related to the green beard theory mentioned earlier. As the perfect visual tag for an altruistic gene to identify would, in the case of monozygotic twins, be a completely identical appearance. AH was also found to be dependent on age (Baumaister & Bushman, 2011). For example Burnstein et al. (1994) found that people’s willingness to help young children of age 1 was identical to the amount of willingness seen at age 25. Overall, willingness to help was found to quickly reach a peak at the age of 10 and then steadily decrease as people get older. For the final recorded age, of 75, willingness to help had decreased by a quarter when compared to age 1. People’s health was also noted as an important factor in influencing willingness to help. It was found that people are more willing to help healthy individuals than those suffering from ill-health. This may be due to survival reasons as healthy individuals are much more likely to help the person in return and therefore increase their rate of survival. In cases of AH, it can be said that, the evaluation of ability to reciprocate may be performed unconsciously. The same concept applies to old and very young individuals who are also less able to reciprocate the help they receive. The attractiveness of an individual is also a recognised factor in one’s willingness to help (Harrel, 1978 as cited in Baumaister & Bushman, 2011). This is often hard to explain in regards to evolution and survival theories. One aspect considered is that attractiveness may be evaluated as health, as attractiveness and health evaluations have been shown to positively correlate (Taylor and Brown, 1988). However a study by Juhnke et al. (2001) found that attractiveness does not necessarily rely on physical features. He found people dressed more attractively are also more likely to receive help. A possible critique of this finding could be that in this case the more attractive people were seen as richer, and therefore their ability to reciprocate would be higher. This would however contradict Burnstein’s et al. (1994) finding, which demonstrates that people would be significantly less likely to help rich people than poor people across every situation. And although based on participants’ conscious evaluation of their willingness to help, the results are consistent across all participants and therefore suggest that Juhnke’s et al. (2001) findings were related to attractiveness, if not as the sole factor than at the very least more than the effect of a ealthy appearance. This finding is also more supported by the survival via reproduction theory since in some cases it appeared to have a sex specific effect, (Pomzal & Core, 1973 as cited in Baumaister & Bushman, 2011) where male participants were found to be more likely to help females than males, especially if the female is attractive. They also report that males are more willing to help than females overall which is an important finding as this slightly contradicts Batsonâ €™s et al. 1991) theory, of empathy being the most important factor in AH as Davis (1980) has pointed out that females display a much higher level of empathy across many different AH related situations. This may be related to Dawkin’s (1989 as cited in Baumaister & Bushman, 2011) theory. He proposes that willingness to help is directly affected by the loss incurred in the process of helping. Therefore although women may want to help more than males, as they feel higher empathy, they may be prevented by fear of loss. This is because most AH requires a form of loss of resources, time or putting oneself in danger (Batson & Shaw, 1991) as only in cases of unconscious and reflex powered reactions are people willing to put their survival over the person in need of help. This sort of behaviour is most often seen in combat situations and almost never occurs if people are able to consider the threat posed to them (Batson & Shaw, 1991) Individuals’ willingness to help people is affected by many factors as discussed. This can be seen in many forms. Some forms of help are motivated by feelings of distress caused through empathy. This coupled together with unconscious reward seeking and punishment avoidance influences people in making the decision of whether to help or not. Although empathy may be the predominant factor it is also important to mention that it is heavily influenced by other factors such as age, gender, family ties and physical or mental similarities. However empathy at times is affected by other factors such as the cost of helping someone. For example men are less likely to be helped, however are more likely to be willing to help than females. Females, although experiencing higher empathy and therefore maybe higher willingness to help are said to be more aware of fear of loss. This may also be influenced by the fact that males feel higher social expectations, to help, than females. Although another reason may simply be survival as the people most likely to be helped are often the same people who are most capable of reciprocating the help. In the case of 10 year old children and young adults receiving more help than elderly people or young children it may be because they can be said to be evaluated as having more chance of reciprocating this help. Same can be said for the health bias influencing willingness to help. Healthy people are more likely to receive help as they are more likely to have the ability to return the help. The fact that attractive people are more likely to be helped than less attractive people is thought to be highly linked to peoples’ willingness to help healthy people. Helping close family is also affected by health although the predominant factor here is the closeness of the family relationship. Children and parents are as willing to help each other as siblings who are significantly more willing to help each other than they are willing to help nephews, cousins or other family members. The only group more likely to help each other are identical twins, this evidence fits in with the selection of kin theory of evolution and therefore is most likely based on survival of the genes. Genes appear to be the most likely explanation for the fact that people are very likely to help individuals who appear similar to them. As suggested by the theory that certain genes may help their own survival by creating visual tags in people who share the same genes or by encoding recognition of similarity. This visual tag would be recognised by the other individuals carrying the same genes and therefore AH would be increased. When all the discussed factors are considered it can be seen that people’s willingness to help and their choice of whom they help, is motivated and influenced by many factors which all interact in a complex manner. References Batson, C. D. , Batson, J. G. , Slingsby, J. K. , Harrel, K. L. , Peekna, H. M. , & Todd, R. M. (1991). Empathic Joy and the Empathy-Altruism Hypothesis. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 61, 413-426. Batson, C. D. , & Shaw, L. L. (1991). Evidence for Altruism: Toward a Pluralism of Prosocial Motives. Journal of Psychological Inquiry, 2(2), 107-122. Baumeister, R. F. , & Bushman, B. J. (2011) Social Psychology and Human Nature (2ed. ). Belmot, California: Wadsworth. Burnstein, E. , Crandall, C. , & Kitayama, S. (1994). Some Neo-Darwinian Decision Rules for Altruism Wighting Cues for Inclusive Fitness as a Function of the Biological Importance of the Decision. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 67(5), 773-789. Coie, J. , Dodge, D. K. , & Coppotelli, H. A. (1982). Dimensions and Types of Social Status: A Cross-Age Perspective. Developmental Psychology, 18(4), 557-570. doi:10. 1037/0012-1649. 18. 4. 557 Davis, M. H. (1980). A Multidimensional Approach to Individual Differences in Empathy, JSAS Catalog of Selected Documents in Psychology, 10, 85-104. Foster, K. R. , Wenseler, T. , & Ratnieks, L. W. (2006) Kin Selection is the Key to Altruism. Trends in Ecology and Evolution, 21(2), 57-60. Frans, B. M. (2008). Putting the Altruism Back into Altruism: The Evolution of Empathy. The Annual Review of Psychology, 59, 279-300. Henrich, J. (2001) Cultural Group Selection, Coevolutionary Processes and Large-Scale Cooperation. Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, 53, 3–35. Jansen, V. A. , & Baalen, M. (2006). Altruism Through Beard Chromodynamics. Nature, 44(30), 663-666. Juhnke, R. , Barmann, B. , Vickery, B. , Cunningham, M. , Hohl, J. , Smith, E. , & Quinones, J. (2001). Effects of Attractivness and Nature of Request on Helping Behaviour, Journal of Social Psychology, 127(4), 317-322. Singer, T. , Seymour, B. , O’Doherty, J. , Kaube, H. , Dolan, R. J. , & Frith, C. (2004). Empathy for Pain Involves the Affective but not Sensory Components of Pain. Science, 303, 1157-1161. Taylor, S. E. , & Brown, J. D. (1988) Illusion and Well-Being: a Social Psychological Perspective on Mental Health. Psychological Bulletin, 103(2), 193-210. doi: 10. 1037/0033-2909. 103. 2. 193 West, S. A. , & Gardener, S. (2010). Altruism, Spite, and Greenbeards. Science, 327, 1341-1344.

Health And Welfare Of The United States Essay - 1855 Words

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