Verbal Aggression Essays - Behaviorism, Aggression,

Verbal Aggression Verbal aggression is message behavior which attacks a person's self-concept in order to deliver psychological pain.(Infante, 1995) Studies of verbal aggression have focused primarily on children and adolescents in educational and social settings. Very few studies were found to examine verbal aggression in adults in the workplace.(Ebbesen, Duncan, Konecni, 1974) The consequences of verbal aggression in the workplace can lead to social isolation, job related stress, health related problems, as well as problems in career advancement. It therefore should be considered important, for the individual and management, to identify and address the causes of verbal aggression. This program attempts to understand verbal aggression by 1) identifying the various functions of verbal aggression. 2) identifying the antecedent conditions of verbal aggression. 3) Avoiding the antecedent conditions of verbal aggression. Method Subject The subject, Shirley J., is a 49 year old African American female. Shirley J. has several advanced degrees and is employed as a school psychologist in a metropolitan school district. She is married with two adult children. The subject readily agreed that the target behavior, verbal aggression, is a problem as it interferes with her relationships with others. She was enthusiastic in her desire to reduce, if not eliminate, this behavior. It would seem that self-monitoring for verbal aggression and antecedent control would be valuable as it would allow for consistent avoidance of verbal aggression. As a school psychologist the subject was very familiar with the basic principles of applied behavioral analysis and frequently offered programmatic suggestions. A behavioral contract was developed jointly between the therapist and subject. The contract outlined the target behavior, success criteria, and individual responsibilities of the therapist and subject. (see Appendix A) Apparatus A basic checklist was used to document the frequency of verbal aggression on a daily basis. The checklist was designed to track only the occurrence of the behavior. It was felt by the therapist that the content of the verbally aggressive message would be too open for subjective interpretation and that no meaningful data would be gained from such documentation. In addition the subject made frequent comments of significant success or failure in avoiding verbal aggression for discussion with the therapist. The weekly discussions were used to evaluate the appropriateness of the procedures used and make any necessary adjustments to the program. Procedure For the first two weeks of the program no intervention was applied. Given that the subject self-reported that verbal aggression was a problem it was important to determine if the frequency of the behavior merited intervention. Therefore, the subject documented the daily frequency of verbal aggression. The results of the baseline period revealed a high rate of verbal aggression. (see Appendix B) Given the results of the baseline data as well as the demanding, often stressful, nature of the subjects job, it was mutually agreed that reducing verbal aggression would be the focus of the program. Verbal aggression was defined as cursing, yelling, and screaming at others. The agreed upon goals of the program was to decrease verbal aggression by 75% of baseline for four consecutive weeks. Treatment would consist of identifying and avoiding the antecedent conditions to verbal aggression. Avoidance of the antecedents is considered less restrictive, more proactive, and most effective. During the initial consultation it was determined that the antecedent conditions included, but was not limited to: work stress, time of day, verbal behavior of others (ie. tone of voice, inflection of voice and content of conversation, etc.), and non-verbal behavior of others (ie. facial expression, body posture, eye contact, etc.). In addition, the subject was required to self monitor for the following antecedents: clenched fists, tight jaw, rapid heart beat, and the emotions of anger, frustration and disappointment. Lastly, it was suggested by Infante (1995) that appropriate strategy must be taken to prevent verbal aggression from escalating. Successful avoidance of the antecedent conditions consisted of removing oneself from stressful situations, when possible, as well as not responding verbally when provoked. Weekly consultation revealed that verbal aggression was most often used to: 1) Escape demand situations. 2) Avoid demand situations. 3) Relieve job stress. The subject was to document the frequency of verbal aggression and record the circumstances of significant success or failure during the work week for discussion at weekly consultation sessions. A schedule of

Valedictory Speech Essay Example

Valedictory Speech Essay Example Valedictory Speech Paper Valedictory Speech Paper We studied in Great Mercy Academy so we could be equipped with adequate knowledge and skills in preparation for important roles we have to play in society someday, and most specially, to turn into reality the prophecy of our national hero, that we, indeed can be the hope of our beloved country, The Philippines. Now, I could simply say that we are empowered and productive student that could face new challenges towards new horizon. For I believe, that we are now equipped of all the things we need based from the experiences and trainings we had undergone from our Alma Mater. My dear co-graduates, the first step has men successful. Aka nag, the roots of education is bitter, but the fruit it bears IS very sweet. The journey is long and laden with thorns but our accomplishments in this school are very rewarding. The patience and dedication each of us has shown throughout our 6 years in the elementary are those what made us heroes like Jose Racial. Our graduation today is the first of the series of accomplishments that we will surely achieve with the guidance of our parents and people around us. Everything in this world has a beginning. In our case, we have just accomplished the beginning. We have started the first right move. Hence, there is no reason why we should fail in our future undertakings. Of course, we will not have been able to reach this stage without the people who helped us and who, without any reservations and expecting nothing in return, guided us in our quest for knowledge. To them, we owe a lot of gratitude. No amount of words can fully express how much we appreciate what they have done for us. We just hope that we will be able to compensate for all their sacrifices. To our dear teachers who taught us not only the lesson in the book but also taught us lessons in real life, we are most thankful to Mrs.. Angelina Leafy, our adviser who is very supportive to us; Mr.. Keen Garcia who molded our hidden talents into reality, especially in dancing; Ms. Jocosely Descartes, our Home Ionics teacher who taught us the basics of home life; Ms. Connie Jimenez, our Science and MARE teacher who supported us since we were grade 5 until our graduation today; Mrs.. Emily Castro, our Filipino teacher who guided us in our studies and to Ms. Lira Christie Omaha, the lovely teacher of Naps. We are very thankful to all of you. To our parents, who are always beside us since our first day in school, w share with you our first taste of victory. There will be more years of struggle. But we are confident that we will triumph because we have parents like you. We cannot give financial or material things at this point. We can only give you the joy, happiness, and respect that you deserve. Thank you for being responsible parents to us. We shall not be here in this worlds without you. We know the sacrifices you made just to send to send us to school. To this, we are very grateful. To papa and Mama, Tatty. Anovel, mommy, please raise. I have witnessed your sacrifices and struggles in rearing me. Thank you very much. High school life is the first step in our ladder of success. We do not know what will happen next. But if we have an aim, a goal, it will make our dreams come true.