Direct Marketing Summary

Direct Marketing Summary DIRECT MARKETING Direct marketing is a type of marketing that set sights on establishing and maintaining long term, structural, direct relationships between a supplier and its customers (Hoekstra and Zwart, 1993; Raaijmaakers et al., 1992). A relationship builds up through regular interaction, in which both parties react to one anothers actions. Direct marketing may be adopted at many levels in the distribution chain: producers, wholesalers as well as retailers may choose for direct marketing (e.g. Marshall and Vredenburg, 1988; Voorhees and Coppett, 1983). Developments in information technology, individualization tendencies, rising distribution costs and the increase of dual-income households have been known as the responsible factors for the increased confidence on direct marketing (Pettit, 1987). Direct marketing is escalating at two times the rate of traditional retailing methods (May, 1989). A Time magazine cover story anticipated the number of Americans responding to direct marketing solicitations to be 92 million in 1989 and the dollar amount of purchases to be $183 billion (Time, 1990). According to Statistical Fact Book (1993-1994), the percentage of adults spending $200 or more per year on products ordered through direct marketing rose from 16% to 21% in 1992. As a matter of fact, more money is currently spent on direct marketing programs and solicitations than on magazine or television advertising (Direct Marketing, 1994; Marketing News, 1992). Particularly, direct mail embraces the third largest percentage of all advertising expenditure, increasing from 16% in 1982 to 19% in 1992 (Statistical Fact Book, 1993-1994). In addition, a growing number of firms are now members of the Direct Marketing Association (DMA), including Fortune 500 firms and leading advertising agen cies (Direct Marketing-Annual Survey, 1984; Statistical Fact Book, 1993-1994). The following media can be used to communicate directly with specific individuals and/or households in order to transmit direct marketing offers and solicitations:  § direct mail: an addressed, written, commercial message that is delivered at the addressees by a postal service;  § telephone; and  § interactive devices like interactive TV and Internet. As a result of the growth of direct marketing, the use of direct media, in particular direct mail, increases continually (Direct Marketing Associations Statistical Factbook, 1993). The increase of the use of direct mail also stems from heavier reliance on the medium, both by previous users as well as by new users. DIRECT MAIL Unlike earlier years, when the direct marketing industry was subjugated by small, morn-and-pop businesses, many large firms are now members of the direct marketing industry, including Sears, Montgomery Ward, AARP, L. L. Bean, and Lands End. This has steered an increased level of competition among firms in the industry. The increased level of competition, sequentially, has led to the surplus of consumers with direct mail solicitations, predominantly that of catalogues (Business Week, 1993a; Miller, 1994; Schwadel, 1988; Storholm and Friedman, 1989; Tixier, 1987). Over 64 billion direct mail pieces finished up in consumers mailboxes in 1989 (Time, 1990). In the literature attention has been primarily focused on the selection of households. In contrast, little attention has been given to the optimization of the design of the mailing, although direct mail practitioners often apply the manipulation of characteristics (Hoekstraand Vriens, 1995). Two studies have been concerned with the elements of the direct mail package. Akaah and Korgaonkar (1988) studied the relative importance of risk relievers in a direct marketing offer. They found that direct marketers can enhance the effectiveness by offering money-back-guarantees rather than free trials/samples, by using established manufacturer names rather than unknown manufacturer names, and that both new and established products can be sold by means of direct marketing. James and Li (1993) studied the importance of the design characteristics of the mailing, by interviewing both consumers and managers through a direct questioning procedure asking about the attractiveness of a number of separa te design characteristics of the mailing. However, letting respondents self-explicate the importance of the various design characteristics of a mailing may not constitute an appropriate task for the respondents, and may produce invalid results (e.g. Green and Srinivasan, 1990). Communicating with target audiences through direct mail is an elegant alternative to total reliance upon broadcast and newspaper mass media. Sending information by direct mail gives an opportunity to make contact with target audience in their homes. The payoff of direct mail fit in the potential for reaching larger target audiences competently, the low cost as compared to many other modes of communication, and perhaps most prominently, its flexibility (Murray, et al., 1988). Direct mail has many advantages over other media. For instance, direct mail can engage in precision targeting to a greater degree than other media, it offers the opportunity to personalize to any desired degree, and there is a large flexibility with regard to formats, timing and testing. However, the relative high cost per potential customer, compared to alternative media, requires sufficient response rates to ensure profitable implementation. So, it is important to develop ways to improve the effectiveness of direct mail campaigns. Vriens, et al. (1998) proposed a method to improve the effectiveness of direct mail by determining the optimal mailing design. They proposed two approaches, based on conjoint methodology, to determine optimal mailing characteristics efficiently. First approach presented a model of the consumer response process and second discussed the mechanism to influence the consumer response process. Another approach for improving the effectiveness of direct mail concerns manipulating the characteristics of the offer and the design of the mailing (e.g. Akaah and Korgaonkar, 1988; Fraser-Robinson, 1989; Roberts and Berger, 1989; Throckmorton, 1992; Và ¶gele, 1992). Characteristics that are essential to the design of the mailing relate to its form (size of the envelope, use of graphics etc.) and to some aspects of the contents (style of writing, use of testimonials etc.). In order to be able to manipulate the characteristics of the offer and the design characteristics of the mailing, the direct marketing manager needs to know exactly to what extent the various characteristics of the offer and the mailing influence the behavioral components of the response process. Milne et al., (1993) conceptualize direct mail as an implied social contract between marketers and consumers. Four attributes constitute the direct mail social contract: volume, targeting, compensation, and permission. An examination of public opinion polls [Equifax 1990, 1991; Hume 1991; United States Postal Service 1992] and proposals to change the direct mail environment [Baker 1986; DiTalamo 1991; DMA 1990; Jones 1991; Miller 1991; Westin 1990] suggest that these four attributes are critical to consumer decisions to participate in direct mail social contracts: Targeting— there seems to be universal agreement that the targeting of direct mail needs to be improved, enabling consumers to receive information of interest to them, but not that which they perceive to be too personal or perhaps even offensive. Volume— most consumers have strong opinions about the volume of mail they receive, and the majority of proposals influence mail quantity in some way. Volume varies more than targeting in terms of preferences. Some people would like more mail, whereas others would like less [United States Postal Service 1992]. Permission— the third criteria used to decide whether to enter a social contract relates to how the information provided to complete a transaction is used subsequently. For example, once an organization obtains information about consumers, that information could be considered their property to do with what they wish, including selling it to other organizations. Alternatively, the information could remain the property of the consumer, and no organization would be permitted to use it for any other purpose without the permission of the consumer. Once again, there is disagreement concerning which option is best. Compensation— a final consideration included in the evaluation of the attributes of a direct mail contract is compensation. Some have suggested that consumers receive compensation (e.g., coupons, rebates, special offers) for providing personal information that is used for direct mail purposes [DMA 1990; Westin 1990]. Others have charged consumers a fee to place them on the mailing lists of their choice [Miller 1991]. Milne measured the trade-offs consumers make among these attributes. The results suggest consumers want improved targeting efficiency and lower mail volume, and they are not willing to pay for these improvements. These findings suggest that consumers consider several attributes in their evaluation of direct mail social contracts. Mentioning name on the envelops of direct mail solicitations yield very positive results in terms of consumers response. Dignan Bahnson (1994) carried out an experiment to investigate causes of influence on the effectiveness of direct mail advertising. Direct mail has exposed promise as a method for getting to target audiences that are complex to reach with other mass media advertising approaches. A randomized experiment was performed to estimate the influence of form of postage and address upon the response rate to direct mail. Results specified that there was no considerable advantage from use of first class over bulk rate postage, but the payoff was significantly larger when the envelope bore a name rather than resident or occupant. With direct mail, artistically built-up educational materials can draw the receivers attention towards the solicitation in a manner where there are less competing solicitations than in TV, radio, or newspapers. For audiences with restricted access to mass media, direct mail can be an imperative means of outreach. For example, those people with limited transportation may not come across billboards, posters, and other identical mass media, but they are more likely to obtain regular mail delivery. Additionally, unlike television and radio solicitations, educational materials, sent by direct mail, can be kept for future reference (Gillespie and coworkers, 1983). After all, direct mail put forward an opportunity to expand two-way communication with the target audiences because the mail can be used to encourage the recipient to act in response to the programs information as well. Gerber and Green (2000) conducted an experiment to study the effects of canvassing, telephone calls and direct mail on voter turnout. The experimental tradition harks back to Gosnells (1927) studies in Chicago, which assigned certain city blocks to receive nonpartisan mail reminders to register and vote. Gosnell found that turnout increased by 1% in the presidential election of 1924 and 9% in the municipal election of 1925. Furthermore, the principal experiment to examine the effects of personal canvassing in conjunction with mailings that used varying types of nonpartisan appeals was conducted by Eldersveld (1956; Eldersveld and Dodge 1954) in two Ann Arbor, Michigan, municipal elections. In both cases the effects of canvassing and mail were statistically significant. Gerber launched a series of turnout experiments in which randomly selected households were exposed to mailings, telephone calls, or personal appeals before the general election. The study was designed to measure the ef fect of personal canvassing, telephone calls, and direct mail appeals on voter turnout. To study the impact of direct mail, an experiment was intended to measure the turnout effect of both the number of mailings received and the message conveyed. To gauge the first effect, the treatment group was divided into three subgroups and sent one, two, or three mailings, respectively. The mailings were sent out at three intervals: 15 days, 13 days, and 8 days before the election. The subgroup that received two mailings was sent mail on the two dates closest to the election, and the single mailing was sent 8 days before the election. The findings indicate that personal canvassing is highly effective, much more so than the direct mail and telemarketing campaigns that have come to displace it. Personal canvassing had a far greater influence on voter participation than three pieces of professionally crafted mail delivered within two weeks of Election Day. Less effective than direct mail were cal ls from professional phone banks. Commercial marketers have been the most fruitful client of direct mail (Dillman, D. A., 1978). For them, response rates vary usually depending on the type of good or service promoted and the complexity of the advertisement. Response rates range from 2-3 percent for a simple direct mail advertising of consumer products to 20 percent for mailings that put forward free products as enticement for future orders (Kanuk, L., and Berenson, C., 1975). Direct mail can be executed efficiently by using commercially prepared lists of recipients mailing addresses (Kanuk, L., and Berenson, C., 1975). Such lists are organized from utility company records, telephone directories, voting records, and further sources. Direct mail also gains importance in not-for-profit organizations. These firms define direct mail in their own perspective as â€Å"Direct mail† is the term used to depict the letters forwarded by philanthropic organizations in an endeavor to raise funds for support. In several respects, these letters are not dissimilar from the promotional direct mail sales letters sent out by businesses (Abelen, Redeker, and Thompson, 1993; Bhatia, 1998). Direct mail is a massive business in the U.S., and there are a few not-for-profit organizations that do not use the direct mail advertising medium in one way or another (Torre and Bedixen, 1988). As Abelen, Redeker, and Thompson (1993) indicated, the direct mail letter is the â€Å"most important instrument for communicating the ‘good cause of a nonprofit organization to a wide range of prospective donors† (p. 325). It is in this solicitation that the prospective donor has to be swayed to give money. In a small scale study, com paring Dutch and American direct mail letters, Abelen et al (1993) reveal that direct mail letters do follow general persuasive strategies which can differ from culture to culture. Besides that, direct mail is considered as one of the imperative marketing tools in arousing the significance of health and dietary practices. Direct mail advertising has been used with extensive success by community-based health learning programs. The Minnesota Heart Health Program deployed a form of direct mail as a strategy to stimulate action by community residents at risk for hypertension (Murray, et al., 1988). In his study, 28.2 percent of the community residents who received a single direct mail letter recalled receiving the message encouraging them to focus attention on screening for hypertension by discussing their blood pressure with a physician. Of the 28.2 percent, 12 percent reported taking action and having their blood pressure checked. Moreover, Gillespie and coworkers (1983) conducted a research to study the effectiveness of using direct mail to improve dietary practices. Of 621 eligible families, 24.5 percent were enlisted for the direct mail nutrition education pro gram. Results portrayed that those completing the program improved productive family interactions about nutrition. Race is a leading communicator cue in taking buying decisions from the medium of direct marketing. This may be primarily relevant in the case of industrial direct mail advertising where straight rebuy and modified rebuy purchasing decisions are inclined to be low rather than high involvement (Hutt and Speh 1998). In such instances, peripheral cues (race) have been found to be an imperative factor in attitude formation and change (Petty, Caioppo and Schumann 1983). In exploring the black consumer market, it has been found that the use of black models in print media might determine, to a great notch, who gets the black segment of the buyer market. In the consumer direct mail advertising medium, Wilson and Biswas (1995) found that the depiction of black modals in consumer specialty catalogs was about 4 percent. Each of these studies concluded that the percentages of blacks in consumer studies trailed their representation in society. Stevenson and Swayne (1999) studied the portrayal of blacks in industrial advertising into a new medium, business-to-business direct mail, and endeavor to determine if the representation of African-Americans in this medium is consistent with that found in other print media. Results showed that the percentage of ads portraying blacks was quite close to the presence of blacks employed in the business world. Moreover, it was found that the qualitative portrayals employed in business-to-business direct mail differed from those found in other industrial media. Thus, it appears that business-to-business direct mail advertisers are responsive to the increasing presence of African-Americans in the buying center. On the other side, some researchers contend that very large volume of such mail is acknowledged to cause consumer annoyance (Schwadel, 1988). Also, it adds to consumer concern about invasion of privacy (Williams, 1991). Thus, the consumers who are concerned about too much catalogue or direct mail solicitations are likely to evince negative attitudes toward direct mailing. This emergent perception regarding direct mailing results in the invasion of consumer privacy which has led to limit marketing practices. These restrictions on practices could be evaded if direct marketers segment their markets based on their consumers attitudes toward direct marketing practices. Milne Gordon (1994) form segments that measured consumers attitudes toward privacy and direct marketing. Data was used from a conjoint study that evaluated 151 consumers attitudes toward diverse direct mail environment scenarios (Milne, et al., 1993). Each scenario was explained using four attributes: targeting efficiency, quantity of mail received by the consumer, com ­pensation, and permission. These attributes and levels were selected because each had been included in at least some of the proposals for re ­stricting direct mail practices (DMA (1990), Di Talamo, Nichoias (1991), Dickson, Roger, and Hollander, Stanley (1986), Miller, Annetta (1991), Westin, Alan F. (1990)). Results of the study suggest that consumers differ in their atti ­tudes toward direct mail, and therefore, in what they consider acceptable in terms of direct mail practices. Principally, the Demanding Middle segment is against paying for mail solicitation. In addition, the Demanding Middle seg ­ment reports a high utility for better targeted mail. The Prospective Lobbyists reported they are sent too much mail. Lastly, The New Right group was comfortable with the status quo. As the youngest of the segments, it may be the most contented with the computer age and feel that direct mail is an acceptable way of doing business. This group had the highest rating of direct mail across all three segments. The governing body of the European Community has proposed a far more restrictive direct mail environment. The proposed regulations would prohibit the use of information about consumers without their permission and require that companies notify consumers when and for what purpose this information is forwarded to another party. The regulations would provide for compensation if information about a consumer is misused. While these regulations apply to direct mail in Europe, they have implications for direct mail in the United States as well. This is because they would prohibit the transfer of data outside the European Community unless the receiving country could assure that the previously described measures would be followed (Di Talamo, Nichoias, 1991). Moreover, several researches find out the fact that potential consumer most often experience risk while purchasing through direct mail. Homer E. et al., (1970) determined whether or not consumers perceive greater risk in the act of buying by mail than in buying from a store or a salesman. For 20 products studied, consumers perceived more risk in the mail-order situation than in the store/salesman situation. ATTITUDE Attitudes are favorable or unfavorable dispositions toward social objects, such as people, places, and policies. Attempts to establish the validity of the attitude construct have most often sought to demonstrate positive correlations between measured attitudes and the favorable-unfavorable aspect of observed behavior toward their objects. The frequently weak correlations observed in these attempts define the predictive validity problem for attitudes (documented especially by Wicker, 1969; see also Festinger, 1964, and LaPiere, 1934). A notable accomplishment of modern research on attitudes has been the solution of this predictive validity problem. That is, conditions under which attitudes strongly correlate with behavior have now been well identified (especially by Ajzen Fishbein, 1980; Fazio, 1986, 1990b; Fazio Zanna, 1981; Fishbein Ajzen, 1974; Zanna Fazio, 1982). Myers (1990) summarized these and related programs of research as showing that our attitudes predict our actions. . .if, as we act, we are conscious of our attitudes (Myers, 1990, p. 40, emphasis added). Similarly, in the description of attitude-behavior relations in their recent treatise on the attitude construct, Eagly and Chaiken (1993, pp. 208-211) referred to the importance of attitudes [coming] to mind and the perceived relevance of attitude to action. Although the modern synthesis achieved by the Fishbein-Ajzen (1974) and Fazio-Zanna (1981) research programs is now well established, it is difficult to avoid concluding that the attitude construct lost scope in the process. For those who can remember it, there might be justifiable nostalgia for an era in which Allport (1935) was able to proclaim that attitude was social psychologys most indispensable concept. The following list gives several definitions that have been influential in guiding scholarly and empirical treatments of attitudes, as indicated by their frequent citation in other works. Although the list may appear dated (the most recent entry is from 1962), it nevertheless remains current. Recent works (e.g., Eagly Chaiken, 1993; Fazio, 1986; McGuire, 1985; Petty Cacioppo, 1981; Zanna Rempel, 1988) continue to draw on them and remain within their boundaries. Attitude is the affect for or against a psychological object. (Thurstone, 1931, p. 261) An attitude is a mental and neural state of readiness, organized through experience, exerting a directive or dynamic influence upon the individuals response to all objects and situations with which it is related. (Allport, 1935, p. 810) Attitude is . . .an implicit, drive-producing response considered socially significant in the individuals society. (Doob, 1947, p. 136) An attitude is a predisposition to experience, to be motivated by, and to act toward, a class of objects in a predictable manner. (M. B. Smith, Bruner, White, 1956, p. 33) [Attitudes] are predispositions to respond, but are distinguished from other such states of readiness in that they predispose toward an evaluative response. (Osgood, Suci, Tannenbaum, 1957, p. 189) [An attitude is] a disposition to react favorably or unfavorably to a class of objects (Sarnoff, 1960, p. 261). Attitudes [are] enduring systems of positive or negative evaluations, emotional feelings, and pro or con action tendencies with respect to social objects. (Krech, Crutchfield, Ballachey, 1962, p. 139) The lack of mention of consciousness in this collection of attitude definitions accurately reflects a long scholarly tradition of nonconcern with the distinction between conscious and unconscious operation of attitudes. At the same time, nothing in this scholarly tradition actively opposes either the possibility or the importance of unconscious operation of attitudes. Standing starkly in the above list as suggesting unconscious operation is Doobs (1947) definition, which labels attitude as an implicit, drive-producing response. In spite of Doobs association with a behaviorist theory (Hull, 1943) that had no use for conceptions of either conscious or unconscious cognition, it is clear that Doob did conceive attitude as operating unconsciously (May Doob, 1937, p. 13). Lately, Doob commented, before World War II we all were impressed by psychoanalysis in addition to behaviorism, suggesting that, even though it may have gone unmentioned in many published treatments, the idea that attitudes operated unconsciously was quite acceptable in the 1940s and earlier. That conclusion is supported also by several passing references to the possibly unconscious nature of attitudes in Allports (1935) review chapter. Recent work has established that attitudes are activated outside of conscious attention, by showing both that activation occurs more rapidly than can be mediated by conscious activity (Bargh, Chaiken, Govender, Pratto, 1992; Fazio, Sanbonmatsu, Powell, Kardes, 1986) and that activation is initiated by (subliminal) stimuli, the presence of which is unreportable (Greenwald, Klinger, Liu, 1989). The present analysis of implicit attitudes extends work on automatic activation to explain how the attitude activated by one object can be (mis)attributed to another. An implicit attitude can be thought of as an existing attitude projected onto a novel object. The interpretation of several important existing findings as implicit attitude effects substantially expands the predictive and construct validity of social psychologys attitude construct. It also prompts the empirical search for further members of the potentially large class of implicit attitude effects. In the domain of attitude chang e, two recent theoretical analyses (Chaiken, 1987; Petty Cacioppo, 1986) have distinguished relatively thoughtful (central or systematic) from relatively thoughtless (peripheral or heuristic) roles of cognition in persuasion. The implicit processes conceived in the present analysis are, in part, subsumed by the notions of peripheral or heuristic processing, but also involve processes operating even further from the range of conscious thought than conceived in these analyses. Several researches on the attitude of people towards direct mail revealed that people evinced positive attitude towards direct mail. Implied social contract provides a basis for evaluating attitudes toward direct mail and temporal changes in attitudes. On the attitudinal questions a four-component solution revealed the following dimensions: (1) favorability towards direct mail, (2) direct mail seen as a resource, (3) list management concerns, and (4) environmental concerns. Respondents concerned about list management and the environmental impact of direct mail. Report a somewhat favorable attitude toward direct mail on average, but do not strongly view it as a resource. (Milne Gordon, 1993) Although it is appealing to infer consumer attitudes by directly observing behavior (e.g., patronage/non-patronage of direct marketing products), it is often difficult and subjective to draw conclusions about attitudes from behavior. A consumer observed purchasing a given product might have done so to take advantage of a special deal on price rather than because he/she particularly liked the product. Moreover, the relationship between attitude and intention lends itself more readily to cross-sectional research than the relationship between attitude and future behavior. Indeed, the viability of patronage intention as a surrogate measure of future behavior is well established in the literature (Darden and Lush, 1983). Furthermore, the theory of reasoned action (as noted previously) suggests that consumer behavior is influenced by intention to engage in the given behavior. Intention, in turn, is influenced by consumer attitudes toward the stimulus (Ajzen and Fishbein, 1980). The results of the study by Bagozzi (1982) suggest that attitudes influence behavior but through intention. Additional support for this direction of linkage is provided by Bagozzi (1992) and Korgaonkar, Lund, and Price (1985). However, the linkage from intention to attitudes remains to be empirically established. Articulation of the norms that govern the direct mail social contract is useful in understanding why attitudes toward direct mail are changing and how they might evolve in the future. Norms have played an increasingly important role in shaping the direct mail environment and can be expected to do so to an even greater extent in the future. Illustrations of this are the growing percentage of customers who are aware of how information obtained through transactions is used by organizations [Equifax 1991], calls for consumers to receive compensation for their information [Westin 1990], and the practice of businesses charging a fee to provide certain types of offers (i.e., mail order catalogs). Because different types of individuals operate using different sets of norms, they will evaluate the attributes of the direct mail environment differently. Norms guiding the behavior of the majority of individuals and those who are most vocal in their opinions regarding direct mail can be expected to guide the evolution of the direct mail environment. However, researchers strived to identify the dimensions that derive knowledge of consumers attitudes toward direct marketing and the factors that underlie their attitudes but most of them have neglected the domains that determine the attitude of people towards direct mail. The significance of such knowledge lies in the fact that attitudes influence most aspects of consumption behavior (Ajzen and Fishbein, 1980; Sheppard, Hartwick, and Warshaw, 1988). As such, knowledge of consumer attitudes and their determinants is vital to the proper identification and implementation of corrective measures. This notwithstanding, not much empirical research has been conducted on the topic- exceptions being the studies by Jolson (1970) and Lumpkin, Caballero, and Chonko (1989). Moreover, neither of the two studies focused directly on the determinants of consumers attitudes toward direct marketing. Ishmael R Akaah et al., (1995) explored empirically the influence of shopping orientation factors as determinants of consumers attitudes toward direct marketing and the linkage between their attitudes and intention to patronize direct marketing offerings. The study results indicate that four of the five shopping orientation factors examined significantly underlie consumers attitudes toward direct marketing, i.e., too much direct mail, like to examine product before purchase, retail people are pushy and past direct marketing experience. The results also suggest that consumers attitudes toward direct marketing significantly influence their intention to patronize direct marketing offerings but not vice versa. Fishbein and his associates attitude model have received the greatest amount of attention (Ajzen and Fishbein, 1980; Fishbein and Ajzen, 1975). Accordingly, the framework adopted here is Fishbeins attitude towards object model (Fishbein, 1963; Fishbein and Ajzen, 1967). Concerning direct marketing, Fishbeins attitude-toward object model would suggest that consumer attitudes are a function of how positively or negatively its various attributes are evaluated. Thus, consumers overall attitudes toward direct marketing would be positive if they relate positively to direct marketing attributes and negative if vice versa (Ajze

Hitler: in His Mind

Adolf Hitler was known to be a somewhat of monster, and a villian, which is true in the opinions of quite a few throughout history. What Hitler accomplished is astonishing, he was a brilliant man who knew how manipulate people and their way of thinking. But, what is most intriguing about Hitler is his personality and disturbed mind. Robert G. L. Wiate and his book titled The Psychopathis God: Adolf Hitler discusses Hitler and his personality triats that led to his outrageous ideas and actions.Waite as a author is able to not create a judgement of Hitler and his and write more about Hitler as a person and why he was the way he was. Hitler had many issues that disturbed his mind, such as, his past and childhood experiences, his enourmous amount of phobias and obsessions that consumed his mind, his sexual experiences and his behavior toward sex, and of course the most well known personal hatred toward Jews. Skipping around a little bit in Waite’s book, in Chapter 3, Waite discuss ed Hitler’s childhood and family history.Hitler’s childhood experiences led to his later on in life obsessions and phobias that were to consume his thinking. Waite is able to find the facts about his childhood to help explain how Hitler’s mind became warped into his way of thinking. Hitler’s childhood was full of death and, abandonment and bad habits. These experiences help explain why he became a vegetarian, his fascination with death and suicide as well as his phobia of being alone. All of these personality triats he became known for were due to his childhood experiences and lifestyle. In my opinion, Hitler’s psychological traits were due to his past.While a boy in Vienna, he was mocked and riduculed. As a child he was strickened with the death of his mother. These types of experiences can create major personality malfunctions later in life. In the first chapter, Waite discusses Hitler’s personality traits and his odd obsessions and daily way of living. One issue that would amaze any reader of Waite’s book is learning about Hitler and his actual ways of thinking rather than just what his factual actions as one of the greatest leaders and manipulator of all time. What is so astonishing is how someone ith such odd obsessions, such as the exact measurements of a body and proportion and positioning of the body, or his obsession with blood and his childish behavior as an adult. Wait’s evidence on Hitler’s manipulating skills is impressive. Waite decribes Hitler as being a man who would use â€Å"brotherhood† and shared experiences to convince people that what they were doing to the Jewish population was alright. In my opinion, Hitler’s psychological explanations for his behavoir is simple. He was a man who was set in his ways and when his way of how life should be ran and lived, he created another obsession in his mind to conquer that obstacle.Unfortunately for Hitler, his past experienc es led to his thinking to be irrational and almost manic like. He would use his hatred for his fathers death caused by use of tabacco, as a way to lead a clean life, which in reality is a habit to form, but unfortunately for Hitler, this â€Å"clean† way of living, lead to a more toxic and harmful environment for himself. Waite describes Hitler as using his bad memories as a child to fix what he felt was wrong with society, unfortunately for Hitler, his mind went out of control to be controlling, and â€Å"perfect†.As far as Hitler and women, he looked at them as their primary purpose to be looked at like a pet. He is quoted to have said â€Å"A woman must be a cute, cuddly, naive little thing—tender, sweet and stupid†, if you read into this statement Hitler made, he expected women to be like trained animals. His sexual experiences were very limited. He was intimate with six different women in his life five of which committed suicide. Hitler had a way of making the women feel inferior and if Adolf was not in their lives then they should not be living their lives at all.Waite describes his sexual and intimate life in contrast with his lack of a motherly figure throughout his entire life. Hitler felt that women were irrational and not capable of being a leader because of women having more of emotional personalities. Hitler’s sexual behavior toward women and sex in general does indicate that this side of his personality wa disturbed. Since reading Waite’s book about Adolf Hitler and his personality and psychological state, a perspective has been put into place for myself concerning Hitler and his terrible actions later in life. This book, puts into perspective just how disturbed and unstable Hitler really was.The question that comes to mind is how can such a manic, unstable, psychologically disturbed man, create such a following of people. The only conclusion that comes to my mind is sheer ignornace of Hitler’s cap abilities as leader. The people who supported and followed Hitler were people who benefitted from his actions and power. Waite is able to write a book about Hitler that is interesting and informative about Hitler’s psychological standpoint, which helps make you as the reader understand Hitler’s thinking and exactly how much of his decision making was based on his insanity and obsessions that consumed him.

1957 and Soil

Pennsylvania State University Berks Campus Reading, Pennsylvania SOILS 101 – Introductory Soils Spring 2013 Course Description: SOILS 101 (GN) Introductory Soils (3 credits). A study of soil properties and processes and relationships to land use, plant growth, environmental quality, and society. Overview: This survey and foundational course introduces students to a broad range of subject matter from most sub-disciplines of soil science.The students study a range of soil characteristics and seek to understand their relationship to soil function, land use, plant growth, environmental quality, and society/culture. This course introduces students to the variety and complexity of soils on a local, national, and international scale. This introductory course in soil science introduces the student to the study, management, and conservation of soils as natural bodies, as media for plant growth, and as components of the larger ecosystem.This course presents basic concepts of all aspects of soil science including: composition and genesis; physical, chemical, and biological properties; soil water; classification and mapping; soil conservation; management practices; and soil fertility and productivity including practices of soil testing, use of fertilizers and manures, and liming. The course introduces the relationships of soil to current concerns such as environmental quality and non-agricultural land use. This course should instill awareness of soil as a basic natural resource, the use or abuse of which has a considerable influence on human society and life in general.This course is required or on a list from which students select for many environmental and agriculturalrelated majors. It is specifically listed as a prerequisite for many other SOILS courses and for several soils-related courses taught at Penn State. This course also satisfies the requirement for 3-credits in the natural sciences (GN), for non-science maojors or any student interested in soils, ecolo gy, or the environment. Course Objectives: At the end of this course, students should be able to: ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Appreciate the variety and complexity of soils.Describe the ways in which soils are an integral component of the terrestrial ecosystem. Use the technical terminology associated with the description and use of soils. Identify soil properties important to land use, environmental quality, plant growth and society/culture. Demonstrate skills required to make field observations and interpretations of soils for various uses. Retrieve and use information from a variety of sources for land use planning and soil management decisions. Explain the impact of land use and management decisions on agricultural productivity and sustainability, environmental and ecological health, and land degradation.Understand how soils can affect everyday decisions like how to develop a garden or where to build a house. – page 2 – Instructor: Dr. Mike Fidanza 234 Luerssen Office: 610-396 -6330 Cell: 484-888-6714 E-mail: [email  protected] edu Office Hours: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, 9:00 am – 9:50 am, and 11:00 am – 11:50 am; or, by appointment (call or e-mail to schedule an appointment) Class Lecture: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, 125 Luerssen Building, 10:00 am – 10:50 am. Required Textbook: Brady, N. C. and R. R. Weil. Elements of the Nature and Properties of Soils. 3rd edition*.Pearson/Prentice-Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ. *or earlier editions are acceptable Grading: 4 exams †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 300 points †¢ lowest exam score dropped †¢ 3 exams X 100 points per exam = 300 points total 15 quizzes †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 150 points †¢ 15 quizzes X 10 points per quiz = 150 points total Soils Writing Assignment . †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 50 points †¢ Fertilizer Worksheet ————————————————————————————————–Total †¦.. 500 points Final Grade will be based on the following scale:Points Grade Points Grade ? 465 A 385 – 399 C+ 450 – 464 A350 – 384 C 435 – 449 B+ 300 – 349 D 415 – 434 B ? 299 F 400 – 414 B- Exams: Exam format is typically multiple choice, true/false, and matching. Exact content and format of each exam will be discussed in class by the instructor. The lowest exam score of the four exams will be dropped, therefore, only the top three exam scores will count towards the final co urse grade. Quizzes: Quiz format is typically multiple choice, true/false, and/or matching delivered online through the ANGEL course website.Exact content and format of each quiz will be discussed in class by the instructor and/or information will be available on the ANGEL course website. Soils Writing Assignment: To be explained in class. – page 3 Class Attendance and Etiquette: Attendance is highly recommended since some lecture information will not be found in the text, and handouts and other supplemental material will be available only on the day on which they are presented in class. Class attendance and participation may be considered toward your final grade.Attendance will be recorded on a random basis, however daily attendance may be recorded if absenteeism or lateness is a problem. Appropriate and respectful behavior is always expected. Also, please silence cell phones during class time. Academic Integrity: Students are expected to be familiar with the University Rule s and Policies regarding academic integrity. Refer to the Penn State Berks Campus Student Handbook, or locate the document on Penn State’s website, which can be accessed through any computer terminal connected to the PSU Center for Academic Computing.Academic integrity is defined as the pursuit of scholarly activity free from fraud and deception. Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to: cheating, failure to protect your work from others (or facilitating acts of academic dishonesty by others), plagiarism, fabrication of information or citations, unauthorized prior possession of examinations, submitting the work of another person or work previously used without informing the instructor, or tampering with the academic work of others. A student charged with academic dishonesty will be given oral and written notice of the charge by the instructor.If the student feels that they have been falsely accused, they should seek redress through informal discussions with the ins tructor (first), division or department head, dean, or CEO. If the instructor believes the infraction to be sufficiently serious to warrant referral of the case to the Office of Conduct Standards, or result in a grade of â€Å"F† for the student for the course, the student and faculty instructor will be afforded formal due process procedures outlined in the University Rules and Policies mentioned above.Academic dishonesty will be dealt with strictly and in accordance with Pennsylvania State University policy. Disclaimer: The class schedule, policies, statements, and assignments in this course are subject to change in the event of extenuating circumstances or by mutual agreement between the instructor and the students. **** Weather Emergency: Call 610-396-6375 for up-to-date Berks Campus information. **** – page 4 – Date: Jan Jan Jan 7 9 11 M W F Topic: Introduction and course administration Introduction to soil scienceIntroduction to soil science (continued) Tex tbook Chapter: 1 1 1 Jan Jan Jan 14 16 18 M W F Soil formation Soil formation Soil formation 2 2 2 Jan Jan Jan 21 23 25 M W F NO CLASS – Martin Luther King Day Soil classification Soil classification –3 3 Jan Jan Feb 28 30 1 M W F Soil classification Exam #1, chapters 1, 2, 3 Soil physical properties 3 –4 Feb Feb Feb 4 6 8 M W F Soil physical properties Soil physical properties Soil physical properties 4 4 4 Feb Feb Feb 11 13 15 M W F Soil water Soil water Soil and the hydrologic cycle 5 5 6 Feb Feb Feb 8 20 22 M W F Soil and the hydrologic cycle Soil aeration and temperature Soil aeration and temperature 6 7 7 Feb Feb Mar Mar Mar Mar Mar 25 27 1 411 13 15 M Clays and soil chemistry W Exam #2, chapters 4, 5, 6, 7 F Clays and soil chemistry 8 NO CLASS – Spring Break M Clays and soil chemistry W Soil acidity and other properties F Soil acidity and other properties 8 –8 Mar Mar Mar 18 20 22 M W F Soil biology and ecology Soil biology and ecology Soil biology and ecology 10 10 10 Mar Mar Mar 25 27 29 M W F Soil organic matter Soil organic matterSoil organic matter 11 11 11 Apr Apr Apr 1 3 5 M W F Soil fertility Exam #3, chapters 8, 9, 10, 11. Soil fertility 12 –12 Apr Apr Apr 8 10 12 M W F Nutrients management and fertilizers Nutrient management and fertilizers Nutrient management and fertilizers 13 13 13 Apr Apr Apr 15 17 19 M W F Soil erosion Soil erosion Soil erosion 14 14 14 Apr Apr Apr 22 24 26 M W F Soil and chemical pollution Soil and chemical pollution Soil and chemical pollution 15 15 15 8 9 9 ************ April 29 – May 3: Final Exam Week (Exam #4, chapters 12, 13, 14, 15). ************

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