Video Games Essay - 4473 Words

Video Games I. The Video or Computer Game Industry The now multi-billion dollar video game industry starting slowly. In 1972, Atari developed Pong, a simple tennis-like game played on the television screen. Pongwas followed by Space Invadersin 1978 (Griffiths 223). Since then, thousands of games are available over the Internet, on CDROM for personal computers, hand-held units, and television console units like Playstation, Nintento, and Sega. Further, the market has developed beyond just entertainment, now providing educational games that make learning fun. Commercially successful titles sell around 350,000 copies and a few go beyond sales of one million units (Sanchez-Crespo Dalmau 3). Top selling games like Myst (for PCs)†¦show more content†¦Graphics images that are used repeatedly for the current game level or environment are stored in ROM (Read Only Memory) (Perry and Wallich 251). For instance, when the player advances to another level or chooses a new environment, a new set of bit-mapped images is loaded into ROM. RAM (Random Access Memory) is used to store bit-mapped graphics, statistics such as score, and a â€Å"scratchpad† for keeping track of â€Å"where the player and [virtual] opponents are in the simulated environment, or generating new, random obstacles† to challenge the player (251). Parameters, such as choice of character the user will play, vehicle, environment (setting or location, such as track, building, open area) and current location within the environment, weapons, opponent, and mission, are stored in RAM until the player either saves or saves to a file upon exiting the game. In either case, the parameters can be recalled by the user within a game session or upon reinitialization of the game, by selecting the game file name under which they are stored (which has a game file extension specific to the game). Once game play commences, the player undertakes challenges in order to advance. Typically, players are rewarded with points or advancement to more difficult or different levels missions in a serial game. Challenges can take the shape of puzzles, tactical, simulatedShow MoreRelatedVideo Game : Video Games1658 Words   |  7 PagesVideo games first entered into the world around the 1970s, while the violence started occurring in the games about 20 years later (Anderson and Bushman 354). Some of the first violent video games included â€Å"Mortal Kombat, Street Fighter, and Wolfenstein 3D† which had amazing effects that were top notch at the time (Anderson and Bushman 354). Wolfenstein 3D was the first big video game that gave gamers the opportunity to shoot in the first person point of view (Anderson, Buckley, and Gentile 5). OverRead MoreVideo Game : Video Games1584 Words   |  7 Pagesviolent video games that are commonly played by boys and girls, young and old alike in t oday’s society. Many experts fear that this violence in video games increases violence in people in real life, causing people to act out as if they were in the video game, increasing aggressive behavior so much that it could actually escalate to shooting, stabbing, and killing people. There have already been many cases of these extreme examples of violence in the news that share a connection with video games. EricRead MoreVideo Games : Video Game1933 Words   |  8 PagesEnglish 132 9 March 2015 Video Games A video game is an electronic game that involves human interaction to generate visual feedback on a video device. The word video in video game means any type of display device that can produce two- or three-dimensional images. The electronic systems used to play video games are called platforms; examples of these are video game consoles and personal computers. Platforms can range from small handheld devices to large computers. Some video games can become popular andRead MoreVideo Games And The Video Game Industry2174 Words   |  9 PagesVideo Games and the Video Game Industry The video game Pong was introduced in 1972 and can be considered the beginning of the video gaming industry. Unlike the game Pong, the controversies surrounding video games today are not quite as simple. Certain media outlets often portray video games to be bad for individual’s health and behaviour. There are still some people in the world that believe video games are contributing to the decline of today’s generation. However, video games and their industryRead MoreVideo Games And The Video Game1301 Words   |  6 Pages The 2000’s and 2010’s has become the most transformative age for video games and the gamers who make them popular. Within the last 15 years the amount of gaming devices in homes has risen to eighty-eight percent. This is a large leap from where the original â€Å"Brown Box† console created by Ralph Baer in nineteen sixty-seven, but video games didn’t just go through a cut scene and magically appear in everyone’s home s. They have had it rough from lawsuits, heavy competition between companies, and evenRead MoreVideo Game And Video Games1905 Words   |  8 PagesINTRODUCTION 1.1 Background of the Study Involving human interaction with a user interface,a video game is an electronic game which generates visual feedback on a video device such as a TV screen or computer monitor. The word video in video games traditionally referred to a raster display gadget, but it now indicates any type of display gadget that can form two or three-dimensional images. In allowing a video game to operate,platform refers to the specific combination of electronic components or computerRead MoreVideo Games And The Video Game917 Words   |  4 Pagesothers for the rest. When it comes the video gaming industry, companies like Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo have developed new ways for the population to enjoy new entertainment and hobbies. However, when these companies create new systems to be flawless, users always seem to find at least one problem. The problem is not the gaming consoles themselves, but the the violent video games that companies create for these consoles. Allowing children to purchase these games, are one of many reasons why the youthRead MoreVideo Game : Violent Video Games927 Words   |  4 PagesThe video game industry possible causing behavioral problems for people of all ages. Video game violence isn’t breaking news for years people have played games with murder and sexual innuendos. People ask why violent video games are so attractive, maybe it’s a way to escape from real life or even therapeutic. History shows us that human being like violence, in roman time gladiators killed people and animals for sport with huge number of people as an audience. Today the video game industry has foundRead MoreVideo Games And The Video Game Industry1290 Words   |  6 Pagesthe mainstream video game industry has seemed to operate under the same apparent assumptions: girls don’t play big action games, boys like the sexualization of girls in video games and won’t play as a female character unless she is heavily sexualized, and that girls play video games for the attention of boys. These assumptions are what allows the gaming industry to continue to focus on their male players, particularly young men, despite the fact that the number of women playing games today may somedayRead MoreVideo Games and Violent Video Games Effect1225 Words   |  5 Pages A video game is â€Å"an electronic game in which players control images on a television or computer screen† (Merriam-Webster). Video games have been entertaining and challenging gamers since the Game Boy to modern console games. Despite the simplicity of the definition of video games, a video game, especially ones containing violence can have a large effect on the gamer. Because of the realism and advancements in the video game industry, video games can influence the player, and can make the gamer

Career Path Interview - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 2 Words: 674 Downloads: 3 Date added: 2019/02/05 Category Career Essay Level High school Tags: Career Path Essay Did you like this example? 1.If you are currently employed is it in your desired career?If you are not currently working what is your desired career? A: I am currently working as a Web Developer.Well, that is one of my desired designation in my career.I wanted to gain strong hands-on with Web Applications development which helps in working on tricky coding. Apart from that my interest of area also covers the Information security technology.I am more interested in learning the defense techniques in depth for Web Applications security and also like to deal with the security threats or Web Application vulnerabilities. My course i.e information system security helps me to explore more and I wish to setup my career in securites domain in future. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Career Path Interview" essay for you Create order 2.What has been your career path up until now? A: My interest in IT development for multiple applications never left me. I started working for a reputed IT company after my undergraduation course. My area of work was not in development initially.But still I managed to migrate to development wing of the company after showing my practical experience in development of applications which I earned by working for smaller projects during my undergarduate course of study.Then I pursued my masters degree in computer science and worked to gain some experience in different technologies by working for multiple applications. At present, I joined in the course as am interested in learning Informations System securities. I wanted to go for next level in my career and in order to achieve it I need to be enough experienced in multi-technologies. 3.What do you like most about your job? Explain If you are not currently employed,what has been your favorite job that youve had in the past? Explain? A. The most exciting thing of my job is multi-tasking.This multi-tasking is almost common in every job but here my point of excitement is I am being involved for multi-platform projects which are close to my experience and knowledge.Apart from my domain of technology I learn new things in different projects and my excellent team always helped me in learning. We always take challenges of developing and testing the things in multi- platform. In past job I worked on same technology for long time but still managed to learn new things simultaneously by pair programming process. That was one main excited thing in my past project. 4.If absolutely no obstacles stood in the way of your achieving it,what would you most like to attain in your career? A. Mostly it is rare to find out the career without obstacles.It was same with me as I had some barriers in my career path.If there were no obstacles in my way then I would have been in the highest designation for a company with good fat salary. But still at present, I managed to be in a good position of my career with all my hard-work and support from my well-wishers! 5.Where would you like to be in your career in 5 years? In 10 years? In 15 years? A. I always aimed for the highest designation in my career but wanted to achieve step-by-step which gives me a satisfaction for all my hardwork. In next five years, I would like to be a strong security Engineer. This five years helps me to explore more in this domain and makes me more strong in my skill. And the next level of my career i.e after 10 years I want to become a security director.If not, I will reach for a strong security Architect level of designation. Though it may not be the final designation of my career but still after 15 years I want to aim for a CHIEF INFORMATION SECURITY OFFICER(CISO) position. An Organization security is the foremost concern for the CISO and it would be the very big responsibility for the career. And apart from all the technological stack, I wanted to acquire good communication skills through practical training course which makes my life easier and simple with good communication.

Blue Velvet Free Essays

string(42) " upon an ear while walking near his home\." Over history, literature has impacted the approach and understanding of multimedia, pop entertainment. Furthermore, it has shaped our social ideologies, contesting current norms, and furthering our own examination of societal approaches and schools of thought. Much of the narrative and film techniques have incorporated a psychological and psychoanalytic examination of human nature and how it impacts everyday life. We will write a custom essay sample on Blue Velvet or any similar topic only for you Order Now David Lynch’s film, Blue Velvet is one of the most influential films, pushing the world of entertainment into new perspectives, reshaping much of the technique producers undertake. Blue Velvet served as a major catalyst for independent filmmaking, which largely reshaped multimedia entertainment. Throughout this film, Lynch heavily relies on Freudian theories, specifically revolving about the Oedipal complex/conflict, sadism, masochism, and fetishism as a connecting point between the characters. Throughout this paper, I apply these Freudian techniques on the psychoanalytic level by examining and analyzing various characters. This will further illustrate how Blue Velvet as well as other works that are heavily based on psychology, impact our society. Lynch’s film was particularly influential because of his incorporation of darker topics, as well as the connection between his film and Franz Kafka’s work in terms of grotesque themes. Lynch helped to shape literature as well, during the tone of this period of darker themes in creative works, because authors began to incorporate darker themes in their own work. The Gothic is a particular genre that Blue Velvet helped to shape. Not only did the film address psychological levels and theories that had yet to be fully represented in pop-media film, but it also utilized a popular Freudian theory called the uncanny. Lynch achieves this because, throughout the film, people are often unable to describe what they’ve seen. Lynch focuses on the opening setting of Blue Velvet in a small town, encapsulating an idealistic All-American image. The audience is given a picture-perfect neighborhood where children cross the street with the help of a crossing guard in uniform, surrounded by a scene of blue skies, white picket fences, and colorful tulips in blossom. These images force viewers to think about how we collectively define the American Dream, as well as what the â€Å"perfect life† is. By doing so, Lynch is able to tap into our psyche; this storybook beginning allows him to go deeper, behind the fences and smiling children, into a world of anything but perfection. Lynch’s influence on society’s perception of the â€Å"American Dream,† adds to the importance of his film. Irena Makarushka’s article, â€Å"Subverting Eden: Ambiguity of Evil and the American Dream in Blue Velvet.† Religion and American Culture: A Journal of Interpretation, enhanced the reshaping of our psychological perception of the American Dream, through her examination of life and society. She utilized Blue Velvet to further her notions through varying ideas and contexts. Furthermore, she examined Lynch’s film, because it encapsulated the concept that life is not as it always seems; the â€Å"American Dream† often serves as a faà §ade, blinding society to the darker, perhaps more realistic, side of life. When the film begins to shift into scenes of hungry black insects, the tone and ideas within viewers’ minds begin to shift. The contrast between the insects and the happy children at play reveals a struggle between what Freud referred to as the Id and the Superego: â€Å"Professor Freud came to the very significant conclusion that the neurosis represents a conflict between the ego and the id (the instinctive needs); the psychosis between the ego and the outer world; and the narcissistic neurosis a struggle between the ego and super-ego. The differentiation of the mental apparatus into an id, ego, and super-ego thus resulted in a clearer understanding of the dynamic relations within the mind† (Alexander 176). This quote allows us to understand that the children at play are representative of the Id because of our instinctive needs, such as protection, which in this case was provided by the crossing guard; the black insects are representative of our Superego because they focus on â€Å"the part of a person’s mind that acts as a self-critical conscience, reflecting social standards learned from parents and teachers,† which correlates to the darker side of society. Lynch’s psychologically metaphorical tactic essentially forces viewers to understand that life is not as perfect as it may appear to be, and evil often occurs behind the closed doors of the â€Å"cookie cutter† house. His use of aesthetically pleasing scenery in the beginning, however, is important to remember:It is only rarely that a psychoanalyst feels impelled to in-vestigate the subject of aesthetics even when aesthetics is understood to mean not merely the theory of beauty, but the theory of the qualities of feeling. He works in other planes of mental life and has little to do with those sub-dued emotional activities which, inhibited in their aims and dependent upon a multitude of concurrent factors, usually furnish the material for the study of aesthetics. But it does occasionally happen that he has to interest himself in some particular province of that subject, and then it usu-ally proves to be a rather remote region of it and one that has been neglected in standard works. (Freud 1) Freud is essentially saying that aesthetics often impact the feelings one feels. This being said, Lynch needed to provoke a feeling of peace and happiness at the beginning of Blue Velvet in order to emphasize the shift of these emotions, into those of fear, terror, and confusion. This tactic allowed Lynch to augment the correlation between emotions towards perceived cultural images, and feelings when people recognize that life is not always as perfect as it seems in the â€Å"American Dream.† This point will be examined at length throughout this paper. Blue Velvet serves as a pivotal film because of the psychoanalytic components, particularly in terms of the characters. Each character is symbolic of varying psychological theories. Furthermore, the way Lynch introduces characters contains several Freudian theories. The first character viewers were introduced to was Jeffrey Beaumont. Beaumont came upon an ear while walking near his home. You read "Blue Velvet" in category "Papers" Psychologically speaking, the Freudian theory has noted that when someone dreams about dethatched body parts, it is symbolizing male castration. This is important to note when analyzing Blue Velvet. Before applying this theory to Blue Velvet, the concept of dreams is important to understand in terms of its applicability to the film. Dreams are heavily influenced by the image of our culture, and how we construct it. Lynch undertook this influence, applying it to Blue Velvet, by reconstructing our understanding of the American Dream through tropes of mystery revealed when viewers are introduced to the darker truth behind the beginning of the film’s portrayal of the American Dream. The dreamlike imagery he used, relating back to the uncanny, begins with the main character, Jeffrey’s discovery of the severed ear. The uncanny focuses on the human mind and mindperecpeiotion in correlation to creative works such as Blue Velvet. Just as Freud noted that detached body parts were subconscious thoughts of male castration, Jeffrey’s finding was representative of the general unconscious of society. When Beaumont brought the severed ear to the police department, the detective, Detective Williams, urged Jeff to let the incident go, because there were darker problems occurring in town. As expected, Jeff ignored Williams’ comment, deciding to pursue the matter himself, receiving help from his girlfriend, Detective Williams’ daughter. Relating back to the detached ear, it largely foreshadowed the upcoming events. As noted above, a severed body part often resembles male castration on the psychoanalytic level. When Jeff began to investigate the case, he soon found himself encountering a nightclub singer and her sadistic male abuser. This singer, Dorothy, and her abuser, Frank encapsulate the Freudian definition of sadism and masochism. Due to the looming issue of male castration, one could assume that Frank was possibly interested in sexual dominance, power, and pain in order to compensate his own sexual insecurities. Freud heavily believed that sadism and masochism, which is a form of sexual pleasure derived from inflicting pain upon others or receiving sexual pleasure from receiving pain, was associated with innate male sexuality (Freud 1). Viewers watch as Frank belittles, insults, and beats Dorothy, but soon discover that she gains pleasure and arousal from the abuse. Here, Lynch is exposing society to the darker side of sexuality, utilizing psychological theories, and forcing viewers to think about their own sexuality. Furthermore, he is allowing several people to act on their own fantasies as an outsider in a fantastical world. This greatly relates to the purpose of the Gothic genre, which is to expose and allow people to process and cope with difficult issues without actually having to endure the pain in reality. When examining Dorothy and Frank on the psychoanalytic level, the Oedipal complex is also seen. Freud believed that the Oedipal complex was a child’s internal desire to have sexual relations with their parent of the opposite sex (Klein 12). Applying this theory to the characters, Frank largely represents the child, while Dorothy represents the mother, in a dysfunctional mother-son relationship. Interestingly, despite Frank’s aggression, he referred to himself as a baby, illustrating his oedipal fantasy. It Is heavily illustrated, here that Lynch wanted to confront the less than comfortable theories and fantasies that many people truly have. Essentially, Lynch is supporting the notion of â€Å"forbidden emotions in powerful but carefully distinguished forms† (Johnson 522). By this, he means that often times repressed, and or, unconscious emotions that are ignored due to stigma, are expressed in other ways. Lynch was able to depict this through the characters throughout Blue Velvet and their sexual tendencies and personas. Jeffrey represents the Oedipal complex even more. When Jeffrey’s father was stung by a bee in his garden, he is brought to the hospital. During this time, Jeffrey stayed home, tending to domestic duties and obligations. His father’s incapacity and helplessness forces Jeffrey to go to his father’s home and hardware store. Fittingly, it was around this time that Jeffrey found the ear. This discovery could be representative and symbolic of his own feelings of castration because of the domestic duties he began to take on. Generally speaking, the ear is representative of male’s anxiety and shame towards their Oedipal fantasies. Lynch was able to depict this anxiety-provoking journey through Jeffrey’s own investigation of the severed ear. Jeffrey’s anxiety and tension were, not surprisingly, further exasperated by Dorothy. His sexual attraction and longing for a desirable, yet perverse female, relates back to the Oedipal complex. It is more important to focus on Dorothy, because of her perverse sexual nature, and how it impacts the men around her. Moreover, the psychological reasoning behind these fetishes and tendencies forces readers and viewers to think about themselves, and possible pervasions, allowing them to gain a deeper understanding of themselves and society. It particularly addresses inner conflict and tensions. Some of these inner tensions can be seen in Dorothy though her fetishes. In terms of fetishism, Freud also heavily studied this psychological phenomenon. Fetishism relates to sexuality, especially in terms of children’s sexual fantasies towards their parents. The author’s claim that we must question of our own perception of reality, as well as the issue of good versus evil, was precisely what Lynch forced his viewers to do throughout Blue Velvet. Makarushka tended to use the term â€Å"illusion† quite often, which was interesting, because Lynch’s film had a strong illusionary tone to it, tracing back to the uncanny, and the dreamlike imagery and emotions throughout his film. Her article was complementary to Blue Velvet because she was able to pose the mysterious and often unsettling aspect of reality versus illusionary life in the supernatural sense throughout the film. Furthermore, it did force readers to question how realistic the perfect, â€Å"cookie cutter,† image of the American Dream is, ultimately redefining its meaning. When thinking about the â€Å"American Dream,† society has always seen it as the ultimate standard of successful, happy living. This very point was denounced by Lynch through Blue Velvet. Just as Makarushka brings into play the idea that this concept is too good to be true, â€Å"However, closer scrutiny reveals that things are not what they seem. The slick, picture-perfect surface of the American Dream lacks substance and depth,† Lynch applies this idea to Blue Velvet (Makarushka 33). The idea that things are not as always as they seem pushes readers of Makarushka’s article, and viewers of Lynch’s film, to think about their lives and purpose beyond materialistic, professional, and superficial levels. This essential argument, encapsulating her entire article, reiterating that there is more than meets the eye, is emphasized through Lynch’s character depictions throughout the movie. Jeffrey and his girlfriend seem to have the looks, charisma, and typical life that anyone would strive for, but as the movie progresses, characters such as Dorothy illustrate the darker side of life, involving heavy issues such as drugs, which subsequently make viewers think about life on a deeper level. Difficult topics such as drugs and abuse are not often talked about, or even thought about, in families living the American Dream, which says a lot. Psychologically speaking, the avoidance and ignorance of realizations and discourses about topics such as these can heavily influence people’s psychological state. By forcing viewers to reflect on our own lives, past the jobs, kids, home, etcetera, Blue Velvet makes us begin to think about ourselves and identity on authentic levels. This makes Lynch’s work particularly influential on the psychoanalytic level, because by Makrushka arguing that we as individuals, must view life through multilateral lenses, as opposed to the unilateral lens we lean towards, in this case, the unilateral lens being the American Dream, people can begin to address their unconscious and subconscious mind, resulting in a fuller understanding of themselves and others. Essentially, both Makarushka and Lynch show us that we must look past the American Dream, into the painful reality of life occurring outside of the protected bubble we place ourselves in. As a result, we become more aware and self-understanding, making us more organic and insightful individuals of society. Another philosopher that attests to Lynch’s psychological notions within Blue Velvet is Louis Althusser. His observations of ideology, throughout Ideological State Apparatuses, are particularly seen in terms of his repressive and ideological state. Lynch’s depiction of the crossing guards, fireman, and detectives relates back to the repressive state because it is one in which cooperation from the public is achieved through physical coercion by means such as the police. Blue Velvet illustrates what happens when these authoritative figures dissipate, â€Å"The loss of an authoritative interpretative frame of reference results in a cultural disequilibrium. For Lynch, this decenteredness is affirmed in the experience of the ambiguity of evil which ultimately subverts the unambiguous claim of the American Dream† (Makarushka 32). Althusser’s ideological state resembles more of a soft power that is sustained by cultural institutions such as church, family, and culture. It also values a sense of choice of what reality is imposed. This state specifically correlates to the reshaping of the American Dream throughout Blue Velvet because it questions what life is like beyond the perfect image, and what reality really is. By seeing what happens when the repressive state fails, we can see how softer figures can reshape people’s understanding of life, reality, and deeper meaning. The American Dream must be redefined, and the psychological impact of the human mind must be addressed, according to Lynch. His film, Blue Velvet essentially allows us to understand that the true American Dream is one in which we are self-understanding, multilateral, and questioning of who we are beyond the image we portray, through its psychologically dynamic characters. Through his focus on Freudian theory, human understanding is better emphasized, increasing our own understanding of the self and others. How to cite Blue Velvet, Papers

Evolution of Forensic Psychology 300 level undergr Essay Example For Students

Evolution of Forensic Psychology 300 level undergr Essay aduateThe discipline of clinical psychology is evolving. Clinical psychologists are no longer limited to couches and working out of their own offices. They are now being put in the stand in courtrooms all over the world. Not because they are on trial themselves, however. Rather, they are there to share their expertise in areas that involve an individual in legal matters. The field of forensic psychology has grown in the 21st century because courtrooms recognize the value of psychologists testimonies to help juries reach a clearer verdict. Not only that, but psychologists can help identify competence to stand trial, perform psychological autopsies and criminal profiling, and also aid in child custody cases. Like all fields in psychology, forensics has many perspectives. This walk-through of forensic psychology will discuss the history, methods, and prospects for the future of this field. For example, they can focus on law enforcement psychology, the psychology of litigation, correctional psychology, and forensic psychology (Nietzel, Bernstein, Milich, 1998). However, the latter is our main focus. Forensic psychology involves many different areas in which clinical psychologists can be considered experts in: competency to stand trial and criminal responsibility, psychological damages in civil trials, civil competencies, psychological autopsies and criminal profiling, and child custody and parental fitness (Nietzel et al., 1998). The reason why criminal competence is necessary to establish is because according to United States law, the criminal must understand the nature and purpose of the proceedings. This is required for several reasons. First, if the defendant is competent, the results of the trial are more likely to be accurate. Second, it would be considered immoral to sentence a convicted defendant of something that he or she doesnt understand. Lastly, the whole theory behind our judicial system relies on the defendant being able to defend his or herself in court. If the defense believes the defendant was not competent at the time of the unlawful act, the defense can plead not guilty by reason of insanity. Then forensic psychologists can testify whether or not they believe the defendant is insane or not. If the defendant is found to be insane, then the judge sentences him or her to a mental institution until the judge is convinced that the defendant is ready to be released. If the defendant is not found to be insane, then the trial proceeds. Several rules have been made in determining insanity, which have changed over the years to accommodate changing standards. Such rules include the McNaughton, Durham, and ALI rule (Nietzel et al.,1998). Forensic psychologists also examine psychological damages in civil trials. One of their duties is to decide whether these damages were due to the tort, which is the wrongful act that causes harm to an individual. The psychologist performs assessments similar to regular clinical assessments that include social history, clinical interview, psychological testing, and available records. After the assessment, the expert decides if the psychological damage was present before the tort, or if it occurred due to the tort. Another duty of forensic psychologists is to examine workers compensation cases. They must decide how long the worker needs to recover from mental damages that their work-place may have caused. Similar to the tort cases, the expert must discover whether the injury was due to the place of employment or if it was already present (Nietzel et al., 1998). Evolution of tribal culture Essay Civil competencies deal with whether or not a person is able to understand information that is used to make decisions and then act accordingly. Examples include whether a person is capable of managing financial situations, or if he or she is able to choose or refuse medical treatment. Scholars have agreed that four abilities are necessary to make decisions competently: understanding information pertaining to the decision to be made, applying that information with concern to the consequences of the decision, thinking rationally to evaluate strategies, and the communication of the decision. It is up to the clinical psychologist to determine if the person is making a rational decision by means of clinical evaluation, and then relaying this .