Backstroke Swimming Free Essays

string(37) " causing the minimum amount of drag\." Swimming backstroke the complete guide to getting your stroke perfect, along with faults their causes and how to Swimming backstroke/ introduction Swimming backstroke is the third fastest stroke competitively, originated from an old english style of swimming backstrokeand has developed over the years and has evolved into an alternating and more effective action. This action givesthe backstroke less resistance with a continuous propulsion. The speed of the backstroke is limited by the restrictiverange of movement of the shoulders as well as the ability/inability to use the power in the chest muscles to thebest desired effect by the roll of the body which will be discussed in more detail in the chapter about the upsweepof the arms. We will write a custom essay sample on Backstroke Swimming or any similar topic only for you Order Now When swimming backstroke it is usually developed from a simple back paddle just kicking legs on the back, once this achieved then the backstroke swimmer can begin to develop the arms as long as the streamlined body position is maintained. Swimming backstroke can be a first choice of stroke for the beginner because it free from the water and does not reallyrequire a breathing pattern so there are little or no difficulties. The only problem can occur is that some swimmersdo not like lying on their back due to fear of the water. Swimming backstroke/ body position When swimming backstroke the body should be in a flat and horizontal position (supine). The body should also be ina streamlined position. The head should be relaxed, with the water should be crossing the ears keeping steady andin line with the body. The eyes should be looking upwards and backwards keeping the chin close to the chest. Keep your shoulders just below the surface of the water but they will only become visible as your body rollsand your arms recover. Your hips are the lowest part of the body when swimming the backstroke. The practice ofletting the less able swimmers hips sink should be discouraged if you are teaching your child or yourself to swim backstroke Keep your legs and toes close the surface with your toes breaking the surface of the water. Your body will roll on it’slongitudinal axis, you can roll up to about 60 degrees from the horizontal. This roll helps to assist so thatyou can place your hand in the best catch position so that you can have an effective underwater arm action which assists the over water arm recovery. The only part of the body not involved in this body roll is the head this should be perfectly still when swimming backstroke. Swimming backstroke/ leg action When you swim backstroke you will need a good, strong and efficient legs kick. The leg kick in backstroke is mainlyused for balance, it is not very likely that the leg kick will provide much propulsion. If you were a good leg kicker then you may get a little propulsion maybe 1-5 percent which could be used when the arms are not intheir propulsive phase. When one arm is above the head ready for entry and the other is by the side just finishedit’s pull. You must remember that the although the legs do not contribute to propulsion they are still importantfor a good body position as well as balance for your strong sweeping actions made by your arms which is made outside the line of the body which will in effect will cause lateral deviation. So a good leg action willminimize lateral deviation (moving from side to side). Although the kicks are described as an upbeat and downbeat it is important that the kick does not necessarily take place in the vertical plane. Your hips move side to side along with the upper body as it rolls so the path of thekick is influenced at the time of the upbeat and downbeat. When swimming backstroke the legs action is alternating as well as continuous. Your legs will stay close togetherand the movement of each of your legs initiates from the hip and is observed as an upbeat and downbeat. Swimming backstroke/ Downbeat (recovery) Your leg will begin the downbeat close to the surface of the water and the leg is almost straight. When you begin thedownbeat your hip will press downwards and then will be followed by your upper leg your lower leg and your foot. The downbeat of each of your legs is called the recovery phase so this movement you will find should be relaxedand done without very much effort. When you get to the end of the downbeat that will be the lowest point and outside of your body range. The depth of this all depend on the size of your limbs. As a guide the leg will be at a point where the leg can be fully extended with your toes pointed. It will be apparent to the backstrokeswimmer that the flexibility of the your ankles is of importance. Swimming backstroke/ Upbeat (propulsion) The upbeat will begins as your hip begins to lift. Then your upper leg follows the hip and your knee will begin to bend your knee will bend will be about 90 to 120 degrees. Your lower leg will then press upwards with your shin andand the top of your foot. The pressure at this stage is a combination of upwards and backwards. Now your leg willaccelerate upwards and as you kick your leg to the surface this is when propulsion is achieved. When the toes breakthe surface the upbeat ends. Swimming backstroke/ arm action When swimming backstroke you will find that the arms provide main propulsion. The arm action is continuous and alternating. There are four partsto the arms in backstroke which are the entry, catch, propulsive phase and recovery which I will discuss in moredetail. Swimming backstroke/ Entry When your hand enters the water your little finger enters first keeping it in line with your shoulder. Your palm facing outwards and then handshould sink to a depth of about 30 cms causing the minimum amount of drag. You read "Backstroke Swimming" in category "Papers" Make sure that your hand does sink a little because it help with your body roll. Your arm will also be fully extended As your hand will be placed in the water. Making sure it is donewithout any undue tension as well as making sure that you do not over reach. It is very important that the arm enters in line with the shoulder. An entry that is too close to the centre line or too wide will have a detrimental effect on your streamlining and propulsion. It is also very importantthat your little finger enters first by entering with the back of the hand will cause more resistance also you will not be able to sink your hand to the desired position as well as a tendency to pull with the little finger leading. Your hand will start to feel the pressure of the water ready for the sweeping and propulsive movement which will follow. Shortly afterwards your hand will be in the catch position. You will then rotate your hand downwards, as you press on the water your elbow will bend and your upper arm will rotate, givingyou a high elbow position that you need to enable the initial downward sweep to be performed effectively. When learning the backstroke you will find that the arms are the hardest part of the stroke and to develop the correct catch position and the downwards movement to the catch position. But practice makes perfect! Swimming backstroke/ Catch Your hand will now begin to give a backwards pressure on the water. This is so that your hand can make a purchase on the water and move your body forwards over the hand. Swimming backstroke/ downsweep Your elbow will now begin to bend and your hand will continue to sweep downwards slightly. As your hand begins the downsweep the pitch of your hand will be downwards as well as backwards. When you have finished the downsweep your elbow will be flexed to 90 degrees your hand will be in line with your shoulder. our elbow at this point will be pointing to the pool bottom and your finger tips should be facing outwards. You will change your hand pitchinto a backwards direction in the transition period, through to inwards and upwards, ready to begin your upsweep. Swimming backstroke/ Pitch of the hand It is important to realize that swimming backstroke you will continually alter the pitch of your hand throughout the sweeping actions. So t hat you get the best possible propulsion during the downsweep your hand should be pitched downwards, outwards, and slightly backwards. Swimming backstroke/ Upsweep Your hand will now sweep upwards towards the surface of the water keeping the elbow bent. The upsweep progresses from your shoulder line through to justabove the waist. It is of importance now that the roll is of great importance, to ensure that the sweeping propulsive can be effective. At the endof your upsweep your pitch is now altered to backwards then to downwards and then backwards. Swimming backstroke/ Final Downsweep When your hand sweeps downwards your elbow will straighten. The propulsive phase of the arm stroke is now completed with your arm extended below your hip. When you swim with the arms they are likened to a long letter ‘s’ shape alongside your body in the water. Swimming backstroke/ Recovery Your body will roll after the final downsweep of your hand the recovery action of your arm begins. Your hand on which you are to recover will be below the level of your hip so it needs to be lifted through the water in a way which will cause you the minimum amount of resistance. You can achieve thisby rotating your hand inwards so the palm faces your thigh, your hand will then be able to cut through the water on its side. When you bring it up it should leave the water be thumb first. Once your arms have left the water your arms should come directly over your shoulder being an elevated positiondue to the body roll. When your thumb is your arms is gradually from your shoulder joint to place your hand in a little finger entry position as it passes yourhead on it’s way down into the water. Make sure your arm is straight as wells relaxed during the recovery giving your arms an opportunity to recovery from thepropulsive phase. Make sure you do not overreach at this time. Swimming backstroke/ arm opposition When swimming backstroke the timing of the recovery and propulsive arm position is very important if you want to swim backstroke with good technique. As your recovering arm enters the water the propulsive arm should be sweeping down at the end of it’s propulsive phase. The opposition of your arms helps with your body roll and your streamlining and it provides the most continuous application of propulsive force on the water. Swimming backstroke/ breathing When swimming backstroke breathing is not usually any problem because the head is free of the water and does not go into the water at any time. Breathing can take place at anytime during the stroke. Make sure that you take a regular pattern of breathing. The usual pattern of breathing isto take an in breath as one arm recovers and an out breath on the other arm recovery (in on one arm out on the other). Swimming backstroke/ co-ordination When swimming the backstroke there are two parts to co-ordination the timing the leg action with your arms as well as the arms with eachother. Swimming backstroke/ leg action timing The most common timing used is the six beat leg action this is complete by the time the cycle of the arms is complete. It is important that a strong balancing leg kick is used when swimming backstroke because as I mentioned before the arms are pitched outside the center line and the faster leg kick s used to maintain a streamline and horizontal position preventing lateral deviation (body moving side to side). The six beat action is the most commonly used a small minority of backstroke swimmers will use any other pattern. Swimming backstroke/ arm action timing When swimming backstroke your arms can be seen opposite each other but there is a period in this cycle when both arms are in the water at the same time. This is simply when one arm is moving towards the catch and th e other is releasing the water and beginning the recovery. This is a slight overlap which ensures that your stroke doeskeep a continuous propulsion from your arms. Swimming backstroke/ faults, causes and corrections When you swim backstroke you will find you may have one or more faults, in this part of my page we will look at thefault that you may come across the reasons why and how you can improve and correct the fault. You may not realize youhave any kind of fault but it may be worth having a read in case you recognize something in your stroke which youmay not have realized is a fault. How to cite Backstroke Swimming, Papers

My Dad My Mentor and Guide Essay Example

My Dad: My Mentor and Guide Essay Commemorative Speech Good morning every one I want to start by asking you this What is your definition of a great man? Is it a man that goes above and beyond to provide for his family and loved ones? Or is it a man that teaches u invaluable lessons in life every chance that he gets, Or is it a man that faces difficulties and always manage to light a smile on your face and prove to you that there’s in fact a silver lining in behind dark clouds? I think all these traits make up a great man and I have the honor to call one of them my father, Venancio Ang. He was born in the Southern Part of the Philippines, Davao City. His mom was that of a Spanish Descendant and His dad was Chinese, which makes him a Chinoy. â€Å"Which means Chinese Filipino† My dad has taught me great lessons in life, and I am here because I want to share with you about all the lessons in life he has taught me and the most valuable which I kept with me and the type of inspiration he gave my family. I want to start of with the lessons in life, like I said there were many of them but the one that really stuck to me was hard work, and family. We will write a custom essay sample on My Dad: My Mentor and Guide specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on My Dad: My Mentor and Guide specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on My Dad: My Mentor and Guide specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Hard work, without hard work you don’t reach your goals, and that/s something my dad would always tell me. My dad was all about using this and using these. And he would do it on a constant basis, all day every day 24/7. And he taught my brother and I what it is to really work hard for what you want in life and how good you feel after you see the fruits of your labor. And finally, Family. I’m grateful to be brought up in such a kind and loving family. Growing up my dad used to always tell me that a family is where home is. Which is very true, because when I go through life’s challenges the first thing I think of is them. He has taught me how important foundation is in order to keep me grounded. My dad always used to say, â€Å"Twirly, remember at the end of the day it all comes down to family. † This world isn’t easy. And our lives are defined by how we respond in adversity. The greatest among us overcome trials and seek to learn from them. Without family I wouldn’t be the person I am today. My dad, a God fearing man who has taught me so many more lessons in life that I wish I could share with you if there was given time. He is my backbone and friend. He has taught me the value of working hard and pursuing lasting significance over worldly success. I highly respect my father for who he is and what he stands for in life. He truly is a God given gift to my family and everybody else who’s lives he’s touched. I am grateful to be brought up by a father like him and he has truly set the kind of example a father should have.

All About Red Maple Trees and Where to Plant Them

All About Red Maple Trees and Where to Plant Them Red maple is the state tree of Rhode Island and its Autumn Blaze cultivar was selected 2003 Tree of the Year by the Society of Municipal Arborists. Red maple is one of the first trees to show off red flowers in the spring and displays a most magnificent scarlet fall color. Red maple is a fast grower without the bad habits of fast growers. It quickly makes shade without the compromise of becoming brittle and messy. The most endearing ornamental characteristic of red maple is fall color including red, orange, or yellow which  sometimes on the same tree. The color display is long lasting over several weeks and often one of the first trees to color up in autumn. This maple puts on one of the most brilliant displays of any tree in the landscape with a great variety of  fall colors with variable intensities. Nursery developed cultivars are more consistently colored. Habit and Range Red maple transplants easily at any age, has an oval shape and is a fast grower with strong wood and grows into a medium-large tree of about 40 to 70. The red maple occupies one of the largest eastern north-south ranges in North America- from Canada to the tip of Florida. The tree is very tolerant and grows in nearly any condition. These trees are often much shorter in the southern part of its range unless growing next to a stream or on a wet site. This maple tree is far superior to its Acer cousins silver maple and boxelder and just as fast growing. Still, when planting the species  Acer rubrum, you would benefit by  selecting only varieties which have been grown from seed sources in your area and this maple may not do well in the southernmost USDA Plant Zone 9. The beginning of  leaf buds, red flowers, and unfolding fruits indicate that spring has arrived. The seeds of red maple are quite popular with squirrels and birds. This tree can sometimes be  confused with red-leaved cultivars of Norway maple. Strong Cultivars Here are some of the best cultivars of  red maple: Armstrong: Grows in all 50 states, has attractive silver-gray bark, columnar  in shape, spectacular  red to orange to yellow leaf color.Bowhall:  Grows in all 50 states,  somewhat pyramidal shape, very similar to Norway maple, red to orange to yellow leaf display.Autumn Blaze: Plant zones 4-8, hybrid of silver maple and red maple. Identification of Red Maple The leaves: deciduous, opposite, long-petioled, blades 6-10 cm long and usually about as wide, with 3 shallow short-pointed lobes, sometimes with two smaller lobes near the base, dull green and smooth above, lighter green or silvery beneath and more or less hairy. The flowers: pink to dark red, about 3 mm long, the male flowers are fascicled and the female flowers are in drooping racemes. The flowers are functionally male or female, and individual trees may be all male or all female or some trees may have both types, each type on a separate branch (the species technically polygamodioecious), or the flowers may be functionally bisexual. Fruits: winged nutlets (samaras) in a pair, 2-2.5 cm long, clustered on long stalks, red to red-brown. The common name is in reference to the red twigs, buds, flowers, and fall leaves.   From the  USDA/NRCS Plant Guide Expert Comments It is a tree for all seasons that develops into an attractive yard specimen under a great range of soil and climatic conditions. -Guy Sternberg, Native Trees for North American LandscapesThe red, red maple. Native to the wet soils of Americas eastern half, it has become one of the Nations favorite- if not the hardiest- street trees. -Arthur Plotnik, The Urban Tree BookReddish flowers appear in early spring and are followed by red fruit. The smooth gray bark is quite attractive, particularly on young plants. -Michael Dirr, Dirrs Hardy Trees and Shrubs P

6 Job Search Trends Every Job Seeker Should Know

6 Job Search Trends Every Job Seeker Should Know We’re a â€Å"what’s next?† kind of society, and that means that everything has trends- from what we wear to which social media platform just became uncool after everyone’s grandparents signed up. This applies to the job hunt, too. Some things about looking for a job are pretty evergreen- like using active verbs in your resume and dressing in your professional best for an interview- there are trends that could give you an edge. Before you convert your resume to an all-Vine format, consider these less-extreme options for joining the 2016 race.1. Emphasize skills over school.A degree is always going to be a great asset in your application package, but your resume should focus on your hard skills and experience over the school name. The educational landscape is getting more diverse all the time, with online degrees becoming more common, so brand-name schools may be less important than the overall package.2. Find your career community.Not so long ago, general job sites like Monster were all the rage, as one could find all sorts of jobs from pretty much any field. This year, try looking for communities and sites specific to your area, and take advantage of their forums, articles, and meetups to network in your own field. When you’re looking for jobs, try thinking specialized instead of general, and see what you can find.3. Be mobile.If you’re reading this on your phone, this one might not be the advice for you- you’re probably already plugged in. But if you’re still limiting your job search to sites you find on your computer, try using mobile job apps and search tools on your phone or tablet to find opportunities that might not be living in a standard web browser.4. Consider a career jump to a hot industry.In 2016, areas like healthcare (especially healthcare technology), mobile marketing and analytics, and other tech fields are growing at an incredible pace. If you’re looking for a change of pace, take a close look at jobs in those industries that might dovetail with skills you already have.5. Be flexible about work environment.This does not mean you should chase those internet ads that promise you’ll earn $80,000 a month working from home, like my sister’s cousin’s best friend’s cat. However, many companies do offer flexible work arrangements, since so many tasks and meetings can be handled easily via communications tech. A job opportunity in another state might have been a non-starter before, but these days you should take a closer look and see if you actually can live here, but work there.6. Just be flexible.It’s not just the geographic boundaries that are stretching. With companies finding new ways to meet economic challenges, you could find opportunities outside of the 9-to-5 template. That may be freelance openings that help you build relationships, or part-time jobs that help you build experience. Everything is customizable now, and why sh ould your career be any different? If you’re open to change and different ways of doing things, you may discover opportunities you didn’t notice before.2016 could be a great year. If you know which areas where you can jump on the trends and find a way to make them work for you and your professional goals, it could be a year of great changes as well.

Negotiation plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Negotiation plan - Essay Example However, the Union still needs to agree on the matter concerning the wage increases during the existence of the agreement (Guasco, 2007). This matter is very important to the workers, as it one way or the other shall determine their productivity and effectiveness. The union requests an award for the workers that will help cover the past 3% inflation and a 2% salary increment for previous contributions towards productivity. The union requires the agreed disbursements made right after the agreement commences, and not on any conditions whatsoever (Bond, 1999). The union workers will be more than willing to look into productive bonuses in addition to this increment, as long as it agrees to measures of productivity. Where a mistake come from one individual, the rest workers should not suffer. The union demands an even distribution of bonuses to all hourly paid employees (Guasco, 2007). The workplace Arrangements It is important and right of the workers to attend premium training when they get the need to progress, and not when there is a vacancy in the company. When employees who reach a higher level that demands a higher salary cannot find a position within the company, an allowance for such training is to be awarded which, is a half the difference between the grade they trained for, and the one they are now in. The trained employees are would promoted, before advertisement is considered whenever there is a higher vacancy in the company. Hours Roster, Shifts and Overtime Implications The workers union has set forth these three working arrangement options, a shift pattern, making one work for 76 hours over two weeks. There is also a monthly arrangement cycle of 152 hours, or an annual cycle of 1976 hours. An employee should work for an average of 8 hours overtime weekly on summer and at least two in the winter. The union demands that the company rewards the overtime hours double the amount paid on normal hours and compensation arranged to the employees who in some c ases might find themselves sitting in for others, hence breaking the usual roosters routine. The Duration of the Agreement The workers union intends to make this the only negotiation they would have with the Dairy Company, where proper assessments are required to make sure that no contradicting loopholes left through successive plans such as in the case of future salary increments. This will see an improvement in the productivity of the employees via time conservation. It will also convince the employers that the hearts of the workers are at what they do, and not for destruction of the firm in any way. Workplace committee The Union will take the workplace committee as a consultative body since as said in the above point; this is a onetime negotiation only. The committee formed from the collaboration of the employers and the employees will only be set to resolve any arising issues within the company, and act as a uniting code between the workers and the company. The Union understands that other light issues also need redress, but since the agreement is a unifying dialogue leaves them open for employers suggestions. Such concerns are sick-offs and day-offs (Eden, 2010). The workers intend to build a relationship with the Dairy Company, and that is why the employers have a room to air their views on some issues. The Union, therefore, resolves on adopting the integrative

Children's Magazine Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Children's Magazine - Essay Example The idea was to find whether the books and their display are able to fascinate the targeted readers and promote reading. During the survey, it was found that the libraries do have wide variety of books for children of different age groups but there is significant lack of children’s magazines and whatever few magazines are there, they do not attract the children. Children’s section is normally well segregated but lack of imagination, in the display of the titles, are found to be the main reason for disinterest amongst the children and the teens. The libraries make no efforts to apply creative approach to promote better reading. The bookstores like Waterstones and W. H. Smith have a huge selection of children’s magazines and story books which are prominently displayed. They often organize special events for children to promote children’s books which do make some headway in inculcating reading habits in children. The bookstores, too, have a separate section for the children where latest story books are attractively displayed. Unfortunately, the price factor is a big deterrent for the majority of the children who prefer to spend that much money on latest gadgets and audio-video games! The children need to develop reading habits for various reasons and the most important justification being that it hugely widens their knowledge horizon which becomes their greatest asset in the later life. To attract children towards reading, it is important that they be introduced to the pleasures of reading in a manner that makes it a big fun and which sufficiently prods their inherent curiosity so that they seek more interesting information in the books. It is also important that the government must encourage writers for writing children’s books and magazines that are interesting, fun filled and which satisfy interest level of children of

Offender profiling

Offender profiling Separating Fact From Fiction: Where Do Peoples Beliefs About Offender Profiling Come From? Chapter I: Introduction to the Study Historically offender profiling has often been seen as more of an art than a science (Muller, 2000; Ressler Shachtman 1992) leaving it prone to rejection within academic journals (Dowden 2007). However within recent years there has been a sharp increase in the publics interest due to the media spotlight offender profiling has received in the way of films and television shows. This in turn has led to more research being done within the field and can clearly be seen by the significant rise of articles published since 2001 (Dowden 2007). This explosion of interest now makes it the ideal time for research to be conducted. Well known journals are now more frequently accepting articles on offender profiling and in 2004 David Canter launched the Journal of investigative psychology and offender profiling. In spite of this the content of the majority of research published still remain discussion pieces regarding what offender profiling is and its usefulness etc with hardly any containing statistics or formal analysis. For these reason this research will focus more so on the publics beliefs of offender profiling and how it is they acquire them. The recent development and interest in offender profiling has lead to people developing false beliefs. Kocsis (1999) stated that the medias portrayal has produced a situation in which â€Å"a gross disparity has developed between profilings reputation and its actual capabilities†. This research proposes five possibilities of how people acquire their false beliefs (media, experts, reasoning error, social contagion and confirmation bias) with the objective of finding which one has the biggest influence upon forming beliefs. Chapter II: Review of the Literature 2.1 History of Offender Profiling Although many definitions have been given for offender profiling it is generally agreed that it is â€Å"a technique for identifying the major personality and behavioral characteristics of an individual based upon an analysis of the crimes he or she has committed† (Douglas et al 1986). It is not meant as a tool to identify the offender implicitly, but rather serve as an indication as to the type of person they are by focusing on their behavioral traits and personality characteristics. It is particularly useful in seemingly motiveless crimes whereby it allows the analysis of similarities and differences to take place. This in turn uncovers information on the perpetrators personality and behavior, which is essential due to the fact that the â€Å"random† crime and victim may not at all be random to the offender. The victim may have been chosen symbolically due to the fantasy occurring within the offenders mind (Ressler et al 1985). Offender profiling is used within a variety of settings and not just a tool used solely for homicides. These techniques have been used in hostage taking situations (Reiser 1982), serial rapists (Hazelwood, 1983), identifying anonymous letter writers (Casey-Owens 1984) as well as those who make written or verbal threats (Miron Douglas 1979). Due to this ability to transfer profiling techniques into a variety of situations, its methods have been used throughout the world (e.g., Asgard 1998; Collins et al 1998; Jackson et al 1993). However Holmes and Holmes (1996) stated that offender profiling is only called upon when all other leads have been exhausted. This in turn questions its popularity, is offender profiling being used throughout the world due to its effectiveness, or as a last resort? Many feel that the latter is the case and criticise offender profiling on the grounds of scientific reliability. Much of the literature published is often plagued by low levels of validity making the results found questionable. Furthermore is the difficulty in obtaining reliable and accurate data. Very few researchers rely on primary data such as interviews with serial offenders and even when they do the offenders testament should be treated as suspicious due to the known fact that offenders often lie about there behavior (Porter and Woodworth, 2007). This leads to a limitation in the literature, with very few authors publishing three or more articles and only 34% of these articles being written by psychologists (Dowden et al 2007). As well as criticism regarding literature methodology, offender profiling as a whole has also raised much disapproval. Pinizzotto and Finkel (1990) argue that many profilers do not specify the behavioural, correlational or psychological principles they rely on and it is therefore difficult to distinguish if specific profiling techniques are being adhered to, or if simple intuition and opinion are being used. However, regardless of the criticism offender profiling has received; it has still continued to grow in popularity throughout the years (Dowden 2007) resulting in an upsurge of interest and media attention. 2.2 The Rise to Popularity Offender profiling is by no means a new technique with one of the first recorded practice being in 1888 in the notorious Jack the ripper case. Dr Thomas Bond, a British physician is regarded by many to be the first offender profiler (Newburn,2007; Petherick 2005; Kotake 2001) linking together five of the Whitechapel murders and giving an eleven point profile on the personality and behavioral traits of Jack the ripper. Although this is sometimes classed the beginning of offender profiling, it wasnt until 1957 that profiling took a leap forward and grabbed the publics attention. New York Citys Mad Bomber terrorized the city for a period of sixteen years, planting a total of thirty-three bombs in public buildings. With public hysteria being high and police reaching a dead-end, Dr James Brussel (a criminologist and psychiatrist) was called in to help on the case. After reading the letters sent to the press and examining the case files, Brussel created his profile of what kind of person the police should look for: â€Å"Look for a heavy man. Middle-aged. Foreign born. Roman-catholic. Single. Living with brother or sister. When you find him, chances are hell be wearing a double-breasted suit. Buttoned† (Brussel, 1968). This profile was then submitted to the newspaper and days later the offender, George Meteky was arrested matching Brusselss description. In fact the only variation to the profile was that he lived with his two sisters. This apparent accurate profile ignited the publics interest in offender profiling. However due to the media frenzy surrounding the case, facts were often missed out and an inaccurate account was given. For example, Metesky was known to follow media reports (Berger, 1957) and so his behaviors may have been consciously or subconsciously affected. Furthermore the profile itself did not solve the case as often implied; in fact it was background checks on disgruntled employees that led to the arrest (Kocsis, 2004). And despite the popular myth that Metesky was ca ught in a double breasted suit, he was actually arrested wearing faded pajamas (Brussel, 1968). This popular and often cited case is an excellent example of how offender profiling is often misrepresented and how that in turn leads to people developing false beliefs regarding it. Nonetheless, the Mad Bomber case is often thought of as a turning point in offender profiling history and that it was at this point that both the public and law enforcement developed an interest. In the 1960s Howard Teten started to develop his approach to offender profiling, and as a special agent in the FBI during 1970 he started teaching his approach to fellow agents. In 1972 Jack Kirsch started the Behavioral Science Unit (BSU) and gave Tenten the freedom he needed to create profiles and continue his research. The word spread and soon police departments were making daily requests for profiles (Turvey 2001). The BSU underwent several changes throughout the 1990s and is now known as the National Centre for the Analysis of Violent Crime (NCAVC). However it is not just America whos interest in offender profiling was sparked. Much like Brussel it was one particular case that seemed to ignite the publics fascination with profiling within the UK. In 1985 David Canter was asked to help with the investigation into two murders and over thirty rapes, which the media dubbed as the Railway Rapist (cited in Egger 1999). Canters profile was remarkably accurate and proved a useful tool in the investigation. However yet again, the profile alone wasnt what led police to John Duffy, it was his refusal to supply a blood sample. Similar to America, the British Press reported Canters involvement in an exaggerated fashion which in turn gave Canter much publicity and recognition. Interestingly, although offender profiling gained publicity within America and UK in a similar fashion, they have completely different profiling techniques. The American FBI approach, created by the BSU, relies heavily on crime scene analysis (CSA) (Wilson, Lincon Kocsis, 1997) and is the approach that has been popularized within the media. The approach places offenders into categories according to the crime scene, either organized or disorganized. This approach has been heavily criticized by the likes of Ressler (1992) who states that the simplicity of the system was to enable police without a psychological background to understand it. The UK approach relies more on statistical analysis, obtaining facts and characteristics from solved cases to provide a general framework for each crime (Aitken et al 1996). However in more recent times Canter has developed an investigative psychology approach to profiling. This approach suggests that psychology can directly be transferred to crime, and that an interpersonal transaction is occurring between the offender and the victim. Canter created five approaches which can be used to profile criminals directly using psychology (Canter 1994). The approach that Canter has received the most attention about is that of space and time which has been empirically tested and found to be useful (Wilson et al, 1997). Although Godwin and Canter (1997) demonstrate that investigative psychology can help the police, results have to be looked at carefully since it is unlikely that Canter will contradict his previous work. Regardless of the different approaches offender profiling has, it has nevertheless reached a height of popularity. However, as widespread as profiling has now become, the public still seem to misunderstand it and hold false beliefs regarding it (Snook et al 2008 Kocsis 1999). For this reason, this research will examine the different possible reasons why the public have developed these false beliefs. 2.3 The Mass Media This brief outline of offender profiling shows that the rise in public interest has correlated with major cases, which in turn causes sensationalism within the media. With the public buying into the medias exaggerations on the role of offender profilers, a perfect springboard was provided for many television shows and films to base their premises around these â€Å"incredible† profilers. Major films such as The Silence of the Lambs and television shows such as Cracker, Wire in the Blood and Criminal Minds have promoted the myth that profilers posses some sort of superhuman skill (Egger, 1999; Grubin, 1995; Alison Canter, 1999). Fiction blurs with fantasy for the general public and they are left with false beliefs. Grubin (1995) comments that offender profiling has always had a role within fiction and has always appealed to the imagination due to its ability to invoke the image of â€Å"the cerebral sleuth relying solely on his acute powers of observation and deductive reasoning to identify an elusive and much feared serial rapist†. Many researchers (Balu, 1994; Campbell, 1976; Canter 2000; McCan, 1992; Muller, 2000) would in fact argue that this fictional image of a â€Å"super sleuth† such as Sir Arthur Conan Doyles Sherlock Holmes or Edgar Allan Poes C. Auguste Dupin is what inspired offender profiling to begin with. Sagan (1996) agrees with Grubin, suggesting that people are often attracted to fantasy, more so than any other genre, because they often contain characters that have powers, which normal people lack but desire. Green, Brock and Kaufman (2004) concur, asserting that people seek out fiction rather than non-fiction for the simple fact that they want to be entertained. However, unless people adopt a critical approach to the material they are viewing, their judgments regarding offender profiling will be based on the inaccurate and biased information they are being given, resulting in false beliefs (Stanovich, 1992). Second hand knowledge, such as that required from the media, rarely reflects the truth (Sprott 1996) and so this critical approach is essential. The mass media doesnt just refer to television and films, the role stories play are equally important. Those who have experience in profiling often write books about there experiences (eg Paul Britton and David Canter) which creates to the reader, a personal story. These types of literature can be very convincing as they are often vivid and memorable (Borgida Nisbett, 1977; Stanovich 1992) and assumed true in entirety by the reader. People are not trained to critically evaluate or to seek out objective facts and reliable evidence (Carroll, 2003; Gilovich, 1991; Sagan, 1996; Shermer, 2003) and take these anecdotes presented to them as truthful accounts allowing them to form the foundation of their beliefs. Even published accounts of offender profiling rely on these anecdotal evidence to convey the message that they are trying to put across and illustrate the usefulness of profiling (e.g Canter, 1994; Cook Hinman, 1999). Snook, Eastwood, et al (2007) found that out of 130 articles on offender profiling, 60% of them used at least one anecdote as a source of knowledge, such as the New York Mad Bombers case. Another problem faced is that all the portrayals regarding offender profiling convey the same message, the profiler catches the criminal and the case is solved. Although this is unrealistic, empirical evidence shows that the likelihood of people agreeing with a message correlates with how often the same message is repeated (Cacioppo Petty, 1979). So if most of the media (eg, films, television shows and books) are all conveying the same message and no critical approach is taken, then individuals will be left with false beliefs. However, are people that passive that they will believe everything they encounter in the media? This theory of a hypodermic-syringe model (Briggs Cobley, 2002) whereby viewers are â€Å"injected† with opinions and beliefs has been proven to be conceptually flawed in that it tends to ignore matters such as personal influence and interpretation (Katz Lazersfeld, 1955). Individuals are not passive creatures that are unable to form their own intelligent opinion. The media does not dictate a persons belief; in fact it can be argued that individuals use the media for their own gratification (Katz, 1959). Therefore is it unfair and illogical to blame the media solely, for the misconceptions people have about offender profiling? 2.4 Expertise Experts are individuals who after an extensive period of practical and theoretical training have developed a professional capability within a specific area (Kurz-Milcke Gigerenzer, 2004). Due to this definition, many people believe and accept the words of experts without question (Bochner Insko, 1966; Milgram, 1964) and many believe that offender profilers are indeed experts. In spite of this belief there is very little evidence to support this idea. If offender profilers are experts then they should be able to perform their job to a high standard, therefore creating accurate profiles. Snook et al (2008) conclude that any police professional could achieve the same level of success that profilers achieve, by relying on their basic criminological information. However, if this is the case why is it police still request profilers and add to the belief that they are accurate experts? One reason could be because they actually believe that offender profiling works (e.g. Copson, 1995; Jackson et al 1993; Pinizzotto, 1984) but for those police officers who disagree, calling profilers in may simply be a way of doing their job. As a police officer it is their duty to make sure that they use all the available investigation techniques and some may think they have nothing to loose by calling in an offender profiler. However the public may view the fact police use profilers as a confirmation that offender profilers are experts and this in turn will affect their judgment. An example of how the belief that experts are correct affects peoples judgments can be seen in a study conducted by Kocsis Hayes (2004). The study found that police officers, who were told that the profile they read was created by an expert, rated them significantly more accurate than officers who were told that their profile came from a non-expert. These results appear to confirm that people believe and trust the information obtained from labeled experts more so than anyone else. However this result that Kocsis Hayes found may be due to the police officers loyalty. They may believe that professional profilers are an important group that they identify with and feel loyalty towards, due to a belief that they are in the same line of work. Many studies have found that many police officers tend to develop an occupational subculture (DeMaria, 1999; Dempster, 1997; Wilson Chappell, 1996; Wilson Western, 1972) with intense loyalty shown to all those that belong to it (Chan, 1996, Finna ne, 1995; Fitzgerald, 1989; Lusher, 1981; Wood 1997). For this reason, the discrepancy shown between the measures may be down to loyalty rather than expertise heuristic. However this loyalty should only be shown by those who identify with that subculture, therefore excluding the general public. So is expertise heuristic to blame for individuals false beliefs? 2.5 Reasoning Errors People have the tendency to believe things that arent true and a lot of time and effort has been put in by researchers to try and discover why it is people believe in unproven things (Gilovich, 1991; Hines, 1988; Vyse, 1997). One of the main outcomes found is that human beings evolved to be able to identify patterns among environmental occurrences, which as a result can lead to the identification of meaningless patterns (Shermer, 2002). It is this ability to identify meaningless patterns that can be argued contributes to people thinking in things such as psychic abilities as well as their belief that offender profilers predictions are valid. People like to find order in a chaotic world and then form beliefs that can guide future behaviors (Gigerenzer, 2002; Shermer, 2003). However, beliefs are just a cognitive process that picks up on information from the environment and if the information is wrong, so is the formed belief. One form of this cognitive process is reasoning errors.