Essay Writer Online - What Are Your Options?

Essay Writer Online - What Are Your Options?There are several different options available to you when it comes to hiring an essay writer online. You can either use an agency or you can use freelancers. If you decide to use an agency, then you should be aware of some of the things that they may ask for upfront and you should also be aware of some of the things that they might expect to receive in return for the work that you have done.The first thing that most agencies will expect you to do is to write some kind of promotional advertising material for them. This could be a flyer, brochure, flier, website, etc. When you work with an agency then you need to take on this task in order to build up your credibility as a professional writer and to prove to them that you have the ability to deliver for them.When you choose to work with an agency they will also expect you to pay out some kind of 'booking fee' and they may also demand upfront fees for the first draft of the project. Once the c ompany has received the work that you have sent them then they will review it and you will be required to provide feedback. This feedback can include a critique of the project, a critique of you, and even a critique of your boss.The reason that they will demand upfront fees is that they are hoping to get as much as possible out of you. This will usually mean that they will get a percentage of the profits that you make from the project. Most agencies will also demand a percentage of any other commissions that you earn.Freelancers do not have to be tied down to any contracts. When you hire a freelancer for essay writing then you are free to work with him or her and to ask for revisions. You will not be required to pay for this service because the person you hired is just doing his or her job. They will not be expected to give you 'lessthan stellar' work so if you feel you are not getting the work that you need then it is perfectly acceptable to have a second opinion.One thing that man y agencies tend to forget is that you are a human being who has emotions that you need to express. When you hire an essay writer online then you will need to know that the project is something that you are going to be happy with. Freelancers are not typically held to any kind of guidelines because they are not required to prove anything to the agency.Once you have decided that you want to work with an agency then you can decide to do an online quote to determine what is going to be the best cost for you to complete your new project. You should always get the biggest bang for your buck when it comes to going with an agency or freelancer. You will be able to save money by just hiring an agency or freelancer for the project.So before you start looking for a writer for your essay writing project then you should know what the options are available to you. You should be able to hire an agency and you should be able to find a freelancer online that is affordable. You should also be able to receive quality work from both types of writers.

Obsessions And Internal Conflict In The Tell-Tale Heart By...

â€Å"The Tell-Tale Heart† by Edgar Allan Poe addresses obsessions and internal conflict, and showcases the soul tortured by its own conscience. The story follows the experience of a man disturbed and overwhelmed by his conscience after he senselessly murders a man whose features he dislike. This man, the storyteller, experiences paranoia, and the motive based on his misconduct is particularly in his deranged mind. The man becomes obsessed with the old man’s eye; the old man becomes the narrator’s victim, and the narrator’s perception of the eye prompts him to murder the old man. Ultimately, the addresses are take through plans and impacts of murder as depicted by the narrator. Finally, the storyteller fixation leads unfair demise which†¦show more content†¦Despite of the fact that the story is composed in the first person of perception, the character is indirectly branded. There are two main characters in the story, and each of them has a clear d ivision of work, so it is easy to know the description of the characters. The calculated killing is initiated by the fact that the narrator has separated himself from ordinary guilty. Also, the obsession has made him unable to regulate his feelings. Instead of committing his crime, he seeks mercy from addressing his cunningly attempts and excuses. However, readers may suspect that the man undergoes mental torture which led by the compulsive paranoia. In the story, the storyteller sneaked into the old man’s room every midnight. Trying to not make any noise, he looked at the old man’s creepy eye since it greatly interfered his mind, despite of not knowing the implications demonstrated in the old man’s eye. And as the narrator continued his daily routine, he enquired from the old man whether he had a good night in the previous day. According to the narrator, the incentive for the killing was not because of the old man himself, but the things founded in the evil eye which annoyed him. The author uses descriptive words such as â€Å"vulture†, â€Å"haunt†, and â€Å"evil† to denote the implication of the eye. These terms are applied to show the demonization of having committed irrational wrongdoings contrary to humanity, including the killingShow MoreRelatedThe Tell Tale Heart Analysis1071 Words   |  5 PagesName: Kabita Budhathoki Class: English 1302-63501 Professor: Derec Moore Date: 10/5/2017 The Tell - Tale Heart The Tell-Tale Heart is a short story written by Edgar Allan Poe which reflects the story of an unnamed narrator about his internal conflict and obsession. This story demonstrates the imagination power of a person and how imagination can affect an individual’s life. Here in this story, the narrator commits a murder of an old man with whom he used to live with an unclearRead MoreThe Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe Essay1035 Words   |  5 PagesEdgar Allan Poe’s â€Å"The Tell-Tale Heart†, a short story about internal conflict and obsession, showcases the tortured soul due to a guilty conscience. The story opens with an unnamed narrator describing a man deranged and plagued with a guilty conscience for a murderous act. This man, the narrator, suffers from paranoia, and the reason for his crime is solely in his disturbed mind. He becomes fixated on the victim’s (the old man’s) eye, and his conscience forces him to demonize t he eye. Finally, theRead More Symbolism and Irony in The Tell-Tale Heart Essay2249 Words   |  9 PagesSymbolism   and Irony in The Tell-Tale Heart In Edgar Allan Poes short story The Tell-Tale Heart, the author combines vivid symbolism with subtle irony. Although the story runs only four pages, within those few pages many examples of symbolism and irony abound. In short, the symbolism and irony lead to an enormously improved story as compared to a story with the same plot but with these two elements missing. The Tell-Tale Heart consists of a monologue in which the murderer ofRead MoreThe Tell Tale Heart By Edgar Allen Poe993 Words   |  4 PagesIn â€Å"The Tell-Tale Heart† by Edgar Allen Poe, it is classified as a short story with horror fiction as the genre. This was written in three different types of fear during the Romanticism period. In this short story the encounter is filtered through the eyes of the unnamed dynamic narrator. The narrator consumes upon the old man’s eye and determines to perform a conscious act of murder. Fear is defined as a horrid feeling that is caused by a belief that a person or something is unsafe, most likelyRead MoreEdgar Allen Poe And King1063 Words   |  5 Pages Casandra Crawford Mrs. Dean English 11 March 14, 2015 Poe and King What is thought of when the word ‘Horror’ is said. One would usually think of a scary clown, an ax murderer, and demons. Many minds would wander over to the brilliant horror author, Stephen Kin g, and his many wondrous villains. Many intellectuals would have briefly wandered over to Edgar Allen Poe, and his gift to entice the readers into his stories. Poe and King are both monarchs of the Horror genre and it would be very easy toRead MoreThe Tell-Tale Heart by Edger Allen Poe1361 Words   |  6 PagesEdger Allen Poe was born to traveling actors in Boston on January 19, 1809. Poe was the second of three children in his family. Three years of Poe’s birth both of his parents had died, and he was taken in by the wealthy tobacco merchant John Allan and his wife Frances Valentine Allan in Richmond, Virginia while Poe’s siblings went to live with other families (Life). He was a very talented writer at a young age. By the age of thirteen, Poe wrote enough poetry to publish a book, but his headmasterRead More Edgar Allan Poe and the American Mind Essay example1854 Words   |  8 Pagesby storms of contradiction underneath. Perhaps inspired by this internal struggle between delusion and truth, illusion and actuality, Edgar Allan Poe penned numerous stories that sought to explore the nature of the human mind in conflict with itself. As a microcosm of the divided psyche that plagued the national body as a whole, the individual minds of Poe’s narrators in short stories such as â€Å"The Black Cat,† â€Å"The Tell-Tale Heart,† and â€Å"The Oval Portrait† reveal some of humanity’s darkest tendenciesRead MoreConflict And Symbolism In Edgar Allan Poes The Tell-Tale Heart1117 Words   |  5 PagesEdgar Allan Poe’s â€Å"The Tell-Tale Heart†, a short story about internal conflict and obsession, showcases the tortured soul due to a guilty conscience. The story opens with an unnamed narrator describing a man deranged and plagued with a guilty conscience for a murderous act. Edgar Allan Poe was a very popular and magnificent writer back in his day, around the 1800s. You may or may not have heard of him, but, he’s very popular for his dark and haunting poetry and short stories. Two of his most popularRead MoreThe Silent Pool, The Tell Tale Heart, And Things Fall Apart965 Words   |  4 Pagesvaries between both the idea of inner conflict and outside conflict. I will be explaining these relationships from the texts of Gooboora, The Silent Pool, The Tell-Tale Heart, and Things Fall Apart. Gooboora, The Silent Pool deals with the relationship of the Aboriginal people of Australia and colonialization, while The Tell-Tale Heart deals with an outsider’s effect on the main character’s subconscious. Things Fall Apart, however, is a mixture of both conflicts that were mentioned. Each of the threeRead MoreThe Tell Tale Heart By Edgar Allan Poe853 Words   |  4 Pageshrough the first person narrator, Edgar Allan Poe s The Tell-Tale Heart illu strates how man s imagination is capable of being so vivid that it profoundly affects people s lives. The manifestation of the narrator s imagination unconsciously plants seeds in his mind, and those seeds grow into an unmanageable situation for which there is no room for reason and which culminates in murder. The narrator takes care of an old man with whom the relationship is unclear, although the narrator s comment

Donald Trump And The President Of The United States Essay

Does Donald Trump have what it takes to be the next President of the United States of America? A president is someone that is â€Å"elected by the citizens of a republican state to be the head of the state.† Someone that is dedicated to their country, cares about the well-being of the citizens, and makes plans that will improve the country rather than destroy it would be considered as a good President. Donald Trump was born on June 14, 1946 in Queens, New York to Frederick C. Trump and Mary Macleod Trump. He had a privileged childhood being as though his father was a real estate developer who constructed and operated apartments in all parts of New York. In 1968, he graduated from the Wharton School of Finance with a degree in economics. Over the years he built hotels and other establishments that all failed at some point. Donald Trump does not have what it takes to be the next President of the United States of America because he has no political background and he is only focus ed on how much money the country can gain if it takes away from other countries. Donald has been given everything he owns at other people’s expense. Many people may think otherwise like journalist, Eric Roberts, who believes that Donald Trump will be the perfect president because he has â€Å"great business ethic and he is an economic expert.† If Donald Trump were to become the president he would force immigrants to leave and build a wall to keep them out, be racists towards minorities and discriminate againstShow MoreRelatedDonald Trump And The President Of The United States Essay1381 Words   |  6 Pages Will Donald Trump fulfill America’s request and actually â€Å"make America great again†? When friends of mine who are Trump supporters inform me that they support him, I don’t understand the reasons why they picture him as our future president of the united states. Donald Trump has never been an elected official. He has never been elected i nto an office of any kind. He’s never had to broker political compromise or gave any political speeches prior to him running for president. With no experienceRead MoreDonald J. Trump : President Of The United States Essay2119 Words   |  9 PagesDonald J. Trump will be the next president of the United States. Continuously throughout the election process, pundits and commoners alike dismissed even the slightest possibility of a Trump victory for a host of reasons. The most glaring of which was that he had no political experience, followed closely by the fact that he consistently spewed hateful rhetoric directed at nearly every demographic imaginable, save for white men. Nevertheless, as the election drew closer, the number of his supportersRead MoreAnalysis Of Donald Trump s President Of The United States Essay970 Words   |  4 PagesReality star and businessman Donald Trump announced his candidacy for President of The United States on June 16, 2015. â€Å"Sadly the Ameri can dream is dead,† Trump said. â€Å"But if I get elected president I will bring it back bigger and better and stronger than ever before (qtd in â€Å"Donald Trump Jumps In†). Trump plans to do so with campaign slogan ‘Make America Great Again’ (TRUMP MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!) America will be great again with Trump as President for these reasons. He is pro-life, against gun-controlRead MoreAnalysis Of Theodore Roosevelt s The Arena 1099 Words   |  5 Pageshe â€Å"Man in The Arena† is a poem written by President Theodore Roosevelt. Surprisingly, â€Å"Man in The Arena† is a very short poem, despite the amount of material presented. President Theodore Roosevelt was known for remarkably long winded speeches, which contrasts with the style and length of the poem. Theodore Roosevelt conveys a motivational message that has a vast impact our nation is founded on. The poem is relatable to a picture on google art project by â€Å"Ettore Bugatt i†, depicting a Bugatti thatRead MoreA President Should Be A Trustworthy And Understanding Person1013 Words   |  5 PagesA president should be a trustworthy and understanding person. A leader. A president should be someone that will make the right choices and not choices by impulse. The past presidents were all governors, state senators, or vice presidents. Donald Trump, a wealthy businessman is running for the 2016 presidential elections. He has no past political experiences or any experiences that would make him a good president. Donald Trump has the knowledge in business and buying property but not in running aRead MoreWhat Does Donald Trump Can Become The `` Make America Great Again Essay1467 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"Make America Great Again† has been the slogan that President-elected Donald Trump has used throughout his campaign. The â€Å"Make America Great Again† is a campaign slogan used in American politics that originated with Ronald Reagan campa ign in the 1980s. The slogan was created in 1979, when the United States was suffering from a failing economy. The slogan was also used by former President Bill Clinton’s presidential campaign, although he later claimed the statement was a racist dog whistle duringRead MoreAmerica s The United States Of America1026 Words   |  5 PagesAmerican’s In The United States of America Focus Immigration The forty-fifth President of The United States of America, Donald John Trump, has made one of his top priorities throughout his campaign, and in the presidency to protect The United States’ boarders from illegal immigration. Thus, â€Å"[Making] America Great Again† (Trump, Donald) by allowing United States citizens to have the opportunity to gain new jobs, and not have illegal crime committed by illegal immigrants with out having consequencesRead MoreHow Trump And His Appointments Will Bring A New Era Of Racism Essay1738 Words   |  7 PagesHow Trump and his appointments will bring a new era of racism, hate and discrimination to the United States. Although his victory was considered unlikely by pre-election forecasts, by early morning November 9, 2016, Donald J Trump was projected to obtain over 270 electoral votes, making him the new president elect of the United States. The election was described by news organizations as a complete â€Å"shock†, with the New York Times calling it a â€Å"once-unimaginable scenario.† Donald Trump will be theRead MorePresidents Should Not Be A New York Native1223 Words   |  5 PagesPresidents should be honest, trustworthy, and have the best interest for their country. Many people often vote for who they truly believe will have the best political power. Over the many years America had dictated the best president to their knowledge. Some people do not choose the best president yet they choose what 80% of what the crowd is rooting for.Such as the president who is going to run for the 2016 Donald. Donald Trump should not be our next president because he does not have America sRead MoreThe Presidential Election : Barack Obama1465 Words   |  6 Pagesof State, Hillary Clinton, along with her Vice Presidential running mate, former Virginia senator, Tim Kaine. On the Republican ticket is Businessman and former reality television host, Donald Trump with his pick for Vice President, former governor of Indiana, Mike Pence. Whichever candidate wins the presidency will take on the task of trying to alleviate many of the issues our country faces today. One of those issues is to strengthen our economy and create new jobs within the United States. Hillary

Is It a Good Idea to Hold Good Stocks Even if the Overall Market Is Assignment

Essays on Is It a Good Idea to Hold Good Stocks Even if the Overall Market Is Overvalued Assignment The paper "Is It a Good Idea to Hold Good Stocks Even if the Overall Market Is Overvalued" is a delightful example of an assignment on finance and accounting.  Keep holding and do nothing. The current stock seems to be doing great and against the earlier projections in the market over the years. Leaving the company would mean leaving the market one is well aware of, and that has grown drastically over the years. Since overvaluation of shares is measurable using a range, then where the ceiling range remains not bleached, holding is necessary. The implication of holding is that one is not required to pay the capital gains taxes, and the long-term investment could result in higher returns in the future. However, where the company’s long-term potential does not offset the overvaluation, the stocks will crash down, and investment money will be lost. Where the competitors rise to surpass or shatter the planned development by the company, it would damage the company to reach points where it could fold, and investors would lose money (Kolodovoski, 2014). Take some profit off the table by disposing of some of the stock and paying the capital gains tax. Selling some of the stock and holding some would work as a lever to offset any shocks in the market. The competitors are getting stronger, and that could damage the company where its share price would fall. The company could also remain on its successful path, and the stock value would increase. To ensure that the investor is shielded from both a partial sale to offset the initial investment is necessary. Selling a quarter of the stock at $45 having purchased them at $12 means that the initial investment gets almost catered for, and future decrease in the stock won’t make the investor lose money. Maintaining some stock prepares the investor for the future success of the company (Kolodovoski, 2014). An outright total sale of the stock and payment of the capital gains tax. Overpriced Shares and the continuat ion of that trend means that the range is growing bigger with time. Letting go of the stock protects the stockholder from the future collapse of the company. The investor would make massive profits by selling at the current market price of $45. The implications of an outright sale would be losing in big if the company were to make successful decisions and the share price increases. The other implication is being protected from the folding of the business if the future investment does not work as required (Kolodovoski, 2014).

Zapotecs free essay sample

This paper examines the Zapotecs of Mesoamerica, their culture and traditions. This is an in-depth look at the Zapotec Indians, both historically and currently and uses an exhibit from the Field Museum in Chicago to explain the people. The author pays special attention to historical civilization that evolved around Monte Alban. Included is an examination of their history and origins, homes, food and irrigation, trade, societal values, class systems, politics, religion, architecture, routine and kinship systems. The center of historic Zapotec civilization was in the Valley of Oaxaca, especially at a hill known as Monte Alban. Archeological knowledge of the Valley of Oaxaca began with the impressive landmark, Monte Alban, dating from approximately 400 BC. Evidence of an early food-collecting, incipient cultivation culture is known from a series of caves and rock shelters, located near Mitla, in a transition zone from piedmont to mountains. There the native inhabitants collected acorns, pinon nuts, mesquite beans, magueys, and other wild plants while hunting deer, cottontail rabbits, and mud turtles. We will write a custom essay sample on Zapotecs or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page I have done the same in order to present you with an amazing wedding present, so we may have our first dinner together eating traditional Zapotec food.

Benetton Group evolution of Communication Strategy Essay Example

Benetton Group: evolution of Communication Strategy Essay 1. An effective advertising campaign needs to have an audience and a purpose. The direct objective of most advertising is to convey a specific message to a specific audience; the ultimate objective is almost always to induce consumers to buy something. Often, the sales objective is achieved through stages, such as making the consumer aware of the brand or product, leading the consumer to like our brand or product and eventually leading the consumer to trust the brand or product. Furthermore, an advertising campaign might be directly simply towards enhancing the brand or company image. Benetton advertising campaign revolves around promoting the company as a life style brand. They campaign focuses on social and political issues like racial integration, AIDS awareness, war poverty, child labor, death and pollution. They want to build a social conscience in the community, on the other hand transmitting that Benetton is an active member in promoting freedom by being pro-life. 2. At first, their awareness campaign succeeded in raising the brands profile, but the strategy towards the depicting of strong shocking images, especially with the introduction of reality advertising (1992), eventually caused dissatisfaction among customers, retailers, government bodies and various international non-profit organization. We will write a custom essay sample on Benetton Group: evolution of Communication Strategy specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Benetton Group: evolution of Communication Strategy specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Benetton Group: evolution of Communication Strategy specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Not withstanding that, Benetton managed to enhance credibility among its customers. Customers were getting the message that the company is venturing towards these social issues because it truly believes in its spirit to contribute to society injustices. Furthermore, their advertising was not like traditional adverting whereby the company, quoting Toscani, shows you a fictitious reality in which you will be irresistible if you make use of our products. Their reality concept meant also to enhance the brand image of manufacturing genuinely good products. 3. I agree that offensive images in the world of art and journalism are more acceptable than in advertising. If one had to analyze most of DGs Adverts, they are representing Napoleonic art with a futuristic conception. Most of these adverts have been subject of controversy regarding the dehumanization of the women. Is there a difference between the 17th Century rape art and the DG Gang rape advert? Can one claim that they are both artistic? If yes, why is the DG ad considered to be offensive? Maybe because its an advert! 4. Peta used shocking advertising by showing celebrity Shirley Manson holding a skinned animal ( here is the rest of the coat) while Humans for Animals depicted beheaded man or dead babies being tortured by animals with the message Dont treat others the way you dont want to be treated Shocking adverting can be used by organizations who want to create social and environmental awareness such as Greenpeace, drugs awareness campaigners and addiction prevention centers. From the example above animal right movements might only employ effectively shocking advertising. 5. I believe that shocking advertising most often repel the audience. In addition, these adverts might distort the customers from the main objectives of purchasing the brand. At subconscious level they might associate Benetton more with their human right campaign than with the products they actually offer. The use of conventional advertising will assist the company gaining back some of the brand reputation. Through the use of conventional advertising they can still transmit the core notions of peace and unity, which are their strong points, without risking to negatively influencing their audience. Such a strategy would still make them innovative.

The use of relaxation techniques to increase self-confidence and reduce performance anxiety in squash players The WritePass Journal

The use of relaxation techniques to increase self-confidence and reduce performance anxiety in squash players The use of relaxation techniques to increase self-confidence and reduce performance anxiety in squash players ) have also shown to produce positive results. The above research measures success mainly in terms of stress and objective distress reduction, it did not however aim to help athletes to reinterpret their stress. Also individual differences pose a serious risk in terms of confounding variables in such research. A very important study here is Eppley, Abrams and Shear (1989) who examined the effects of various forms of relaxation therapy against each other. The effect sizes of the reduction in trait anxiety were reported, making this piece of research particularly prominent since not every study will report this statistic. The authors found that most therapies had similar effect sizes, but transcendental meditation had a significantly larger effect size. At the least this has implications to inform the type of interventions which are most effective at reducing anxiety, and the authors even made efforts to control for confounding variables to strengthen their conclusions. However the justification for this research is in question (at least in a sporting context) because of other research to show that anxiety can be beneficial depending on how it is interpreted (Jones et al., 1994). This means that anxiety should not necessarily be seen solely as something to be eliminated; perhaps a better res earch question would examine the qualities which cause people to differ in their interpretation of their anxiety, and suggested coping strategies should focus more on appraisal than reduction of anxiety. Transcendental meditation therapy was therefore settled upon for use in this study because unlike other therapies of this kind it offers ample opportunity for reflection and direction of anxiety which is so often cited as important (Hanton, Cropley and Lee, 2009). The control model and the theory or Martens et al. (1990) provide the theoretical rationale for this investigation. Method Participants The participants in this study were two individuals; one male, one female recruited from the University squash club who frequently competed in highly competitive tournaments. These two individuals were specifically identified using a short questionnaire administered just before the start of the tournament to identify weaknesses in self-confidence regarding squash performance. Participants were both aged 18-20 and considered themselves to be playing at a non-professional club level in highly competitive tournaments. Participants were verbally advised on the nature of the experiment and their freedom to withdraw at any time. Instrumentation The dependent variable to measure is self-confidence. Competitive state anxiety was measured with the Revised Competitive State Anxiety-2 (Cox, Martens and Russell, 2003) but only the self-confidence sub-scale was used. The questionnaire is available in the appendix. Design and Procedure Participants were tested pre-intervention, at one week intervals during the intervention to monitor changes, and finally at post-intervention. Participants were not tested around the time of a tournament to avoid confounding effects of anxiety. After the intervention, semi-structured interviews were administered to both participants. A full transcript of these interviews is available in the appendix. The intervention consisted of three weeks of guided meditation, in which participants were encouraged to think deeply about meaningful things in their lives and to let their thoughts wander. They were encouraged also to think of themselves in relation to the world. This style of transcendental meditation involves little guidance and a quiet, supportive environment in which self-expression is encouraged. Sessions lasted one hour and took place 4 times a week. Results A one-way repeated measures ANOVA was performed for both participants. Table 1 shows the descriptive statistics for the variables at each measurement period. As can be seen mean self-confidence ratings gradually increase with time during and after the intervention. The standard deviation also appears to increase however, showing more variability in ratings of self-confidence as therapy progresses. Table 1 Descriptive statistics for self-confidence ratings Interval Mean Standard Deviation Pre-test 18 3.2 Week 1 15 4.1 Week 2 24 5.7 Post-test 28 4.6 Table 2 displays the post hoc tests for the comparisons between the measurements at the four time intervals. The overall ANOVA showed a significant effect of the treatment (F(3, 3)=9.356, p.05). Table 2 shows where the differences occurred; self-confidence was significantly different between the pre-test and the post-test (p.05), week 1 and week 2 (p.05) and week 1 and the post-test p.01). This suggests that meditation therapy was effective at increasing self-confidence ratings but only substantial differences only emerged by the second week of therapy. Assumptions of repeated measures ANOVA were inviolate in all cases. Table 2 Inferential statistics for the comparisons of confidence ratings at different stages of meditation therapy Interval Comparison Mean Difference Standard Error Sig. Pre-test Week 1 3 4.4 .742 Week 2 -6 4.4 .486 Post-test -10 4.4 .030* Week 1 Pre-test -3 4.4 .742 Week 2 -9 4.4 .045* Post-test -13 4.4 .007** Week2 Pre-test 6 4.4 .486 Week 1 9 4.4 .045* Post-test -4 4.4 .689 Post-test Pre-test 10 4.4 .030* Week 1 13 4.4 .007** Week 2 4 4.4 .689 *p.05, **p.01 Discussion This study has brought to light issues pertaining to the implications of increasing self-confidence in sport and a means to increase this psychological construct practically. Increasing self-confidence is a key factor in facilitative appraisal of anxiety and in remaining in executive control of cognitive anxiety (Carver and Scheier, 1988; Jones, 1995), making it a prime factor to investigate when the aim is improving actual performance. This study revealed that transcendental meditation if effective in increasing self-confidence, making other relaxation therapies potential targets for future research as well. As for the two individuals concerned in this case, they both reported feeling more relaxed, less anxious and more ready for the next tournament. â€Å"I feel more in touch with myself and I haven’t had as many negative thoughts about the tournament as before.† – Participant 1 Statements like this back up the notion that relaxation therapies work not only by simply reducing anxiety, but also by enhancing executive control, managing cognitive intrusions and increasing self-confidence. This empowers athletes by giving them the confidence to interpret their anxiety in more facilitative ways (Jones and Hanton, 1996). This model is backed up by a theoretical framework and empirical support in the extant literature (Jones, Hanton and Swain, 1994; Jones, 1995). A direction for future research in this area would be to investigate the mechanisms underlying the relationship between meditation therapy and self-confidence. Discovering exactly what it was that caused participants self-confidence to increase would perhaps allow for improvements in the efficiency of such interventions. Some of this information was discerned from the brief interviews following the post-test. â€Å"I would think about why I was anxious. Just really think about what was stressing me out about a situation and I started gradually to realise that I didn’t have to let it stress me out.† – Participant 2 The relaxation technique employed may also have given the participants time to engage in reflective practice. Reflection allows athletes to learn from incidents, and put them into perspective (Hanton, Cropley and Lee, 2009) which allows for learning which becomes easier with greater experience. Perhaps the meditation ensured the athletes had moments in which they could properly constructively reflect on their recent performance. This notion is backed up by reports from the interviews. â€Å"When I was instructed to I would think about some recent things that happened [during play]†¦ I guess it just gave me time to think that the bad moments didn’t really matter as much as I thought†¦ and maybe that was distracting me while I was playing.† – Participant 1 â€Å"Sometimes I would think about the good moments [during play] because it was fun to†¦ but maybe I really did learn something from that†¦ it certainly made me feel good about myself.† – Participant 2 This suggests that the meditation helped participants to direct their anxiety into facilitative channels rather than managing or eliminating it, which is more consistent with the theory of Jones (1995) than Martens et al. (1990). Participants reported feeling anxiety but also reported that they were better able to direct their thoughts. Perhaps the therapy only became effective after 2 weeks because it took some time for participants to really commit to it and properly explore their thoughts. The limitations of the current study of course include the limitations of all single-subject designs. Martin, Thompson and Regehr (2004) note that findings drawn from case studies are not necessarily generally applicable because of a lack of ecological validity as well as issues with statistical power; though the error term can be reduced, the amendments to the degrees of freedom for the error term can negate the increase in power which would otherwise be achieved with a within-subjects design. Another big limitation is that anxiety measures were not included in the analysis, meaning that conclusions drawn about the mechanisms of the observed effect are purely speculative albeit backed up with qualitative data. The conclusion of the current research is that guided transcendental meditation increases self-confidence in a sporting context but only after 2 weeks. This delay could be due to the time it takes participants to commit to the treatment. Whether this effect is seen as a buffer against debilitating anxiety or a sort of harnessing of the power of anxiety depends on theoretical orientations. Either way, higher self-confidence is generally predictive of better performance, making it worthwhile of further investigation. References Cox, R. H., Martens, M. P., Russell, W. D. (2003). Measuring anxiety in athletics: The revised competitive state anxiety inventory-2.  Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology,  25(4), 519-533. Eppley, K. R., Abrams, A. I., Shear, J. (1989). Differential effects of relaxation techniques on trait anxiety: A meta†analysis.  Journal of clinical psychology,  45(6), 957-974. Eysenck, M. W., Derakshan, N., Santos, R., Calvo, M. G. (2007). 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