Cats and dogs are the most recognised pets globally. They are renowned for their companionship, loyalty, and playful nature. Several studies have indicated that dog ownership can have many health benefits, such as reduced stress, improved mental health, and increased physical activity (Potter et al., 2019). Cats and dogs have unwavering love and affection for their owners, creating a deep emotional connection that offers comfort and a sense of purpose (Hui Gan et al., 2020). In addition, these mammals are exceptional at giving a feeling of protection and security, which makes them suitable pets for most people with a high sense of security in their homes. Nevertheless, regardless of them being domestic animals, cats and dogs have different features in their outlook, behavior, and cost (care requirements). This essay explores significant similarities and differences between cats and dogs, comprehensively helping potential pet owners better judge which of these mammals suits their preferences and lifestyles.
The first similarity between dogs and cats is that they are both beloved pets famous for their capacity to create strong ties with their owners. These mammals can demonstrate love, offer companionship, and emotionally support their owners (Love, 2021). As a result, most people love them since they are a great source of stress relief and comfort. Everyone who loves dogs and cats feels fulfilled due to the joy and happiness that they give.
Furthermore, cats and dogs need frequent maintenance and grooming for excellent health and happiness. Both cats and dogs must be brushed habitually to do away with loose fur, preserve healthy coats, and avoid matting. In addition, they both need regular washing to keep their skin clean and free from dust and fragments. Brushing and washing cats and dogs prevents them from contracting periodical illnesses, bacteria, parasites, and allergens (Thomas & Feng, 2020). Additionally, frequent bathing removes dead fur from cats’ and dogs’ skin and helps nourish and flourish their skin, which helps them to be less irritated and relaxed.
Ultimately, both cats and dogs can be nurtured to a certain degree. Although cats are known to be independent and have a different level of trainability than dogs, they can be trained in basic behaviors and rules. Cats can be trained in simple things such as coming when called or doing tricks like rolling over. They have a positive response to clicker training because there is a reward associated with each behavior. “Cat Operant Conditioning” is a notable investigation that shows how cats can be trained. The experiment was performed by Dr Karen Pryor using reinforcement approaches, particularly clicker training (Bosch et al., 2022). Some common training activities for cats and dogs are sitting, coming, and eating. These pieces of training help their owners to get them to become obedient and behave a certain way.
The primary difference between cats and dogs is in their behaviors. Cats have a solitary and self-reliant nature. Unlike dogs, they tend to be more self-dependent and can be isolated for a long time (Vitale et al., 2019). On the contrary, dogs are pack pets and survive on owner interrelations. They need frequent playtime, exercise, and interaction with their owner to prevent boredom. Moreover, unlike cats, dogs need to be close to humans for better physical and mental health.
Another dissimilarity between cats and dogs is in their outlook or appearance. Usually, cats have small body sizes, with pointy ears, slim bodies, and graceful motions. They also have retractable hooks, which serve as self-grooming, protection, and hunting tools. Contra-wise, dogs have a variety of sizes and shapes. There are some dogs with small body sizes while others are big. While dogs also have hooks or claws, these claws are not retractable as in cats (Ocklenburg et al., 2019). The purpose of claws in dogs is for running and digging.
Finally, cats and dogs have different costs of maintenance. The cost of maintaining cats and dogs differs due to factors such as health and dietary requirements. For instance, cats are obligate carnivores implying that their bodies need specific nutrients that can solely be acquired from animal-based sources. Cats require a diet that is rich in fat and protein. On the contrary, dogs are omnivores and can survive on various foods, including plant and animal-based diets. Dogs, unlike cats, require a balanced diet comprising carbohydrates, protein, and fat to satisfy their dietary requirements.
In summary, while cats and dogs have many things in common, like their ability to offer emotional support, love, affection, and companionship to their owners, they also have a variety of dissimilarities in their appearance, traits, and nutritional requirements. Cats are more likely to be self-reliant and have unique physical structures such as retractable hooks. However, dogs are social mammals with a comprehensive band of body shapes and sizes. All these similarities and differences can assist a potential pet owner in better choices on which to keep between a cat and a dog. The distinguishing features between cats and dogs help potential owners to choose based on their preferences, lifestyles, and ability to meet their unique requirements, such as diet.
References
Bosch, G., Gilbert, M., & Beerda, B. (2022). Properties of Foods That Impact Appetite Regulation in Cats. Frontiers in Animal Science, 3, 33. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fanim.2022.873924/full
Hui Gan, G. Z., Hill, A. M., Yeung, P., Keesing, S., & Netto, J. A. (2020). Pet ownership and its influence on mental health in older adults. Aging & mental health, 24(10), 1605-1612. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13607863.2019.1633620
Love, H. A. (2021). Best friends come in all breeds: The role of pets in suicidality. Anthrozoös, 34(2), 175-186. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/08927936.2021.1885144
Ocklenburg, S., Isparta, S., Peterburs, J., & Papadatou-Pastou, M. (2019). Paw preferences in cats and dogs: Meta-analysis. Laterality: Asymmetries of Body, Brain and Cognition, 24(6), 647-677. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/1357650X.2019.1578228
Potter, K., Teng, J. E., Masteller, B., Rajala, C., & Balzer, L. B. (2019). Examining how dog ‘acquisition’affects physical activity and psychosocial well-being: findings from the buddystudy pilot trial. Animals, 9(9), 666. https://www.mdpi.com/530340
Thomas, M., & Feng, Y. (2020). Risk of foodborne illness from pet food: assessing pet owners’ knowledge, behavior, and risk perception. Journal of Food Protection, 83(11), 1998-2007. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0362028X22107702
Vitale, K. R., Behnke, A. C., & Udell, M. A. (2019). Attachment bonds between domestic cats and humans. Current Biology, 29(18), R864-R865. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960982219310863
Barclays Bank Analysis Essay Sample For College
Introduction
Barclays Bank is a worldwide banking company located in London, UK, and originated in 1690. The bank works in more than forty nations offering consumer banking, commercial banking, investment banking, and money management products and services (Wewege et al., 2020). Barclays has set an increased focus on mobile banking within the last few years, establishing imaginative financial technology solutions to enhance its consumer expertise. Mobile apps, banking via the Internet, contactless payment methods, and artificially intelligent assistants have been instances of them. Barclays enjoyed around £1.2 trillion within overall assets in 2021, alongside annual net earnings of £3.1 billion. Then the financial institution’s financial health was significantly damaged by the global outbreak of COVID-19 and its attendant economic volatility (Wewege et al., 2020). In reaction, Barclays has undertaken various actions toward improving its financial health, including lower expenses, raising liquidity, and concentrating on essential enterprises. Additionally, the bank has prioritised ethical finance, purchasing green energy projects and advocating ethical investing procedures.
Bank Performance Analysis
Barclays Bank is a worldwide banking company with substantial operations in the country of England and other locations around the globe. The bank operates with widely recognised electronic banking along with a fintech strategy, and this has assisted with maintaining ahead of the competition and maintaining an excellent financial standing (Wewege et al., 2020). While evaluating Barclays Bank’s financial condition, critical financial metrics, including profits, revenue, and development of assets, must be considered. Barclays Bank posted earnings of £21.8 billion and revenue of £2.4 billion in their most new fiscal year to be remembered. The overall assets grew by 3% to £1.5 trillion, reflecting the bank’s robust financial standing.
Barclays Bank’s Internet banking and financial technology tactics proved essential in its accomplishment. In order to offer clients the most flawless and simple finance knowledge, the bank invested significant expenditures in innovation and technological advances (Morales et al., 2022). For instance, the worldwide outbreak of COVID-19 has driven consumer interest in Internet banking and financial services as prospects refrain from actual financial institutions’ destinations. Barclays Bank is responding to this pattern by increasing its offerings via the Internet and investing in further electronic banking abilities (Morales et al., 2022). At last, Barclays Bank’s excellent financial standing and achievements in the electronic financial services and financial technology space are likely linked to their creativity and focus on consumer concentration. The bank’s continual investments in technological advancement and adaptability to financial developments the running it well towards future advancement and achievement.
Bank Risk analysis
Barclays Bank works within a market that continues to change and develop, particularly throughout the Internet of Things and fintech. Consequently, comprehending the financial institution’s risks and how it handles them becomes essential when determining its fiscal health. Cybersecurity constitutes one of the most significant hazards of online banking and fintech (Morales et al., 2022). Barclays Bank is becoming increasingly susceptible to cyber assaults since it has widened its internet-based finance donations. To prevent the danger, the bank has made substantial investments in safeguards for cybersecurity and possesses rigorous safety measures implemented that safeguard consumer personal and financial details.
The possibility of disturbance affecting the bank’s network of computers, systems of technology, or procedures is yet another danger connected to electronic banking. Barclays Bank has established solid plans for business continuity to guarantee its operations will react rapidly to unexpected interruptions while preventing the effect on patrons. However, Barclays Bank’s growth in the fields of digital banking along with fintech hinges upon the capacity to handle the puts at risk connected with both rapidly developing business sectors (Morales et al., 2022). The bank’s commitment to cybersecurity, functional endurance, minimising credit risk, and compliance with regulators’ positions of authority properly for the prospective hazards and opportunities offered by electronic banking and fintech.
Bank Strategy and Innovation
In the past few years, Barclays Bank has consistently been at the leading edge of digital banking and fintech innovation, applying technological advances to enhance the consumer experience and reduce business operations. The bank’s approach remains concentrated on supplying clients with a simple and straightforward banking procedure while enhancing its operations and decreasing expenses (Kondo, 2023). Mobile banking, which enables consumers to control their bank accounts, make purchases, and make payments employing their intelligent phones, represents one of the most significant innovations launched by Barclays Bank. The bank has also invested in electronic banking systems and Internet banking services, enabling consumers to use a variety of financial goods and services from anywhere and at any moment.
In addition to its technological innovations, Barclays Bank has partnered with fintech businesses to offer consumers fresh and creative banking services and products. As an example, the bank collaborated alongside fintech rigid MarketInvoice to offer invoice funding to small and medium-sized companies, in addition to collaborating alongside fintech rigid Flux users to give clients electronic receipts (Kondo, 2023). The state of the economy additionally had a bearing on the strategy and innovations of Barclays Bank. For instance, the global epidemic of COVID-19 has driven up interest in electronic banking services as consumers steer clear of tangible finance destinations. Precisely a result, Barclays Bank is speeding up its internet-based banking efforts, incorporating novel mobile banking characteristics and extending its internet banking donations (Kondo, 2023). Finally, Barclays Bank’s strategy and innovations in online banking and fintech helped it to stay in excellent financial standing and modify to shifting trends in economic conditions.
Conclusion
In conclusion, a report on Barclays Bank’s electronic banking and fintech strategy is essential for analysing the bank’s economic condition and the influence of the economic environment (Kondo, 2023). Assessing the bank’s digital strategies and partnering with fintech firms could help us identify the bank’s digitalisation weaknesses and strengths. The article offers suggestions for leveraging technology infrastructure to continue driving expansion and success in the market with the advancing finance system.
References
Adeleye, I., Debrah, Y.A. and Nachum, L., 2019. Management of financial institutions in Africa: Emerging themes and future research agenda. Africa Journal of Management, 5(3), pp.215-230.
Asif, M., Khan, M.N., Tiwari, S., Wani, S.K. and Alam, F., 2023. The Impact of Fintech and Digital Financial Services on Financial Inclusion in India. Journal of Risk and Financial Management, 16(2), p.122.
Darwish, N.A. and Bayyoud, M., 2023. Impact of COVID-19 on UK Banks; How Banks Reshape Consumer Banking Behaviour during Pandemic. COVID, 3(2), pp.131-143.
del Pino, E.Q., THE EFFECT OF TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCES IN THE FINANCIAL SYSTEM AND SUSTAINABLE GROWTH IN THE LONG TERM.
Iluba, E. and Phiri, J., 2021. The FinTech Evolution and Its Effect on Traditional Banking in Africa—A Case of Zambia. Open Journal of Business and Management, 9(02), p.838.
Kondo, T., 2023. A ‘Social Justice’Movement in the Banking Industry? Banking, Competition and Financial Inclusion in South Africa with Insights from Zimbabwe. In Financial Inclusion and Digital Transformation Regulatory Practices in Selected SADC Countries: South Africa, Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe (pp. 181-205). Cham: Springer International Publishing.
Lumpkin, S. and Schich, S., 2020. Banks, digital banking initiatives and the financial safety net: Theory and analytical framework—Journal of Economic Science Research, 3(1).
Morales, L., Gray, G. and Rajmil, D., 2022. Emerging Risks in the FinTech Industry–Insights from Data Science and Financial Econometrics Analysis. Economics, Management & Financial Markets, 17(2).
Murerwa, F.K., Onditi, A.L. and Nyagol, M., 2022. Influence of Product Differentiation Strategy on Performance of Commercial Banks in Lodwar, Kenya. The International Journal of Business & Management, 10(10).
Murinde, V., Rizopoulos, E. and Zachariadis, M., 2022. The impact of the FinTech revolution on the future of banking: Opportunities and risks. International Review of Financial Analysis, 81, p.102103.
Nwobu, E.K., 2022. Electronic Payment System: Effect on Financial Inclusion in Nigeria (Doctoral dissertation, Dublin, National College of Ireland).
Panda, I. (2019) Risk management: Barclays Bank – 1125 words: Essay example, Free Essays. Available at: https://ivypanda.com/essays/risk-management-barclays-bank.
Petrović, M., 2020. PSD2 INFLUENCE ON DIGITAL BANKING TRANSFORMATION-BANKS’PERSPECTIVE. Journal of process management and new technologies, 8(4).
Robins, N., Tickell, S., Irwin, W. and Sudmant, A., 2020. Financing climate action with positive social impact: How banking can support a just transition in the UK. Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, LSE: London, UK.
Saxunova, D. and Le Roux, C.L., 2020. Digital Transformation of World Finance. In Investment Strategies in Emerging New Trends in Finance (p. 91). IntechOpen.
Wewege, L., Lee, J. and Thomsett, M.C., 2020. Disruptions and digital banking trends. Journal of Applied Finance and Banking, 10(6), pp.15-56.
Varying Information About Barclays Bank
Appendices
According to the bank I have used, this is varying Canva showing a student specifically chose this bank which is Barclays Bank.
Behavioral Theory: Operant Conditioning Sample Essay
Movie Overview
The Four Brothers is a 2005 American drama action film directed by John Singleton and distributed by Paramount Pictures. It was released on August 12, 2005, and runs for one hour and forty-nine minutes. The main stars in this film are André Benjamin (Jerry), Mark Wahlberg (Bobby), Garrett Hedlund (Jack), and Tyrese Gibson (Angel). They are adopted brothers who set to revenge the demise of their adoptive mother, who was murdered at the beginning of the film (YouTube, 2023). This movie was shot in Greater Toronto Area and Detroit, Michigan, and has been described as Blaxploitation.
Despite being an action film, it is much more than that. The main theme of this film is brotherhood. Based on this film, a family does not involve a blood relationship but involves how an individual cares about another person. In this film, the main stars were all adopted, but they treated and loved each other like brothers. The film also portrays a story about finding peace and grief. After Fionnula Flanagan (Evelyn), their adoptive mother, is murdered, they are all struggling with her demise.
Theory overview
Operant conditioning, also known as instrumental conditioning, is a mode of learning that was developed by B.F Skinner, which uses punishment and reward to influence or modify behavior. Through operant conditioning, behavior that is punished is not likely to occur in the future, and behavior that is rewarded positively is likely to be repeated (Arifin & Humaedah, 2021). For example, when an employee is rewarded with a good performance bonus for an excellent job, he or she will be inclined to continue performing at a higher level to increase the chances of being rewarded again because a positive outcome follows the behavior. In operant behavior, stimuli can either be aversive or appetitive. Aversive stimuli are those an individual tries to avoid or escape, while appetitive stimuli are the ones that a person approaches voluntarily. Responses to such stimuli can be negative or positive reinforcement; in this case, negative and positive do not mean bad or good. Instead, negative reinforcement means eliciting stimulus to increase the chances of good behavior, while positive reinforcement includes introducing stimulus to increase the chances of behavior being repeated.
As a way of explaining this mode of learning, Skinner identified three main forms of responses. The first response is the neutral response, which is a response from an environment that does not produce any stimulus apart from the attention being focused. They neither maximize nor minimize the chances of a behavior being repeated (Cherry, 2019). The second response is known as the reinforcer, which is a response that increases the likelihood of a behavior occurring again. The last response is punishment, which discourages behavior, and thus decreases the chances of it being repeated.
Theory application
After viewing this film from an operant conditioning perspective, the main stimuli and response are appetitive and reinforcer, respectively. After the death of their mother, Evelyn, they feel a big loss, and therefore they organize themselves on how they will get revenge for her death. In this case, the main goal is revenge, which can be considered, and the external stimulus and Evelyn’s death is the positive reinforcement. Therefore, the four brothers are motivated by positive reinforcement in order to achieve the external stimulus. In response to this, Angel, Bobby, and Jack initiate an investigation to determine the person who killed their mother. They visit their mother’s shop and view the camera footage to determine the person or people behind their mother’s demise. They realize that it was not a robbery but was a hit murder or a contract killing. Angel is familiar with one of the hit murderers called Damian, who is a basketball fan, and they approach him to get information on their mother’s death. Damian provides the brothers with the information, which leads them to two gunmen who they were to lead to the people who killed their mother. The shooters refuse to provide information, which makes Bobby and Angel mud. As a result, the brothers decided to shoot them in cold blood (YouTube, 2023). Basing this information on operant conditioning, the lack of information that could lead the three brothers to the person who killed their mother motivates them to kill the two gentlemen.
As they continue to find their mother’s killer, Jack is shot dead by a group of gangs, whom Angel and Bobby believe they were sent by the person who killed their mom. They managed to capture one of the gangs, and they ordered him to tell them who sent them, and he told them Victor Sweet sent them. After getting the information, Bobby shoots the person in the forehead and kills him. From an operant conditioning point of view, Jack’s death, which can be considered an appetitive stimulus, leads Bobby to behave violently and kill the guy who takes his young brothers’ life. Bobby, Angel, and Jerry realize the person who ordered their mother to be killed (YouTube, 2023). This motivates them to continue conducting their investigation and behaving violently to achieve their main goal, which is revenge for their mother’s death.
Terrence Green, a police officer and a friend to Bobby, realizes that his colleague, Fowler was withholding information about Evelyn’s death which could aid in the investigation process. He asks him the reason for holding back the information and he responded that he failed to tell him because it was not relevant at all. Fowler also lied to Green that the police report Evelyn filed was handed over to another police department, though Green already knew that he gave it to Sweet, which shows that both were collaborating. After realizing Fowler is a crooked cop, Green attacks him with a pool stick and orders him to hand in his police badge. After they leave the bar, Fowler gets his gun, shoots Green from the back, and calls dispatch claiming that two black men had fired upon Green (YouTube, 2023). On the basis of operant conditioning, Fowler knew that Green was a threat to him, and therefore he could face criminal charges and probably lose his job. Therefore, he decided to kill him in order to be safe and cover up his bad action. In other words, he killed him to avoid the punishment that he could face.
The surviving brothers come up with a scheme to pay off Victor Sweet using the $400,000 from their mother’s life insurance. While at Fowler’s, Angel manages to control him. As Sofi, Angel’s lover, arrives at the police station, she informs them that Angel is preparing to murder a police officer. When Sofi is on her way to the police station, Jeremiah is on his way to meet Sweet. Fowler hears sirens in the distance and assumes Angel is being pursued until Angel lifts his jacket to show a wire (YouTube, 2023). The whole conversation, including Fowler’s admission that he killed Green, according to Angel, was recorded. Fowler defeats Angel after the police show up at his house in full force. Despite the police officers’ assurances that they are there to save him and that they are directing their guns at Angel’s head, Fowler orders them to back off, and since the police do not obey his orders, he opens fire on the officers who kill him. In reference to operant conditioning, the three brothers acted as if they were surrendering in order to fool Fowler and Sweet. This enabled them to achieve their main goal; revenge on Fowler, since he was working with Sweet despite the fact that he was a police officer.
Sweet tells Jeremiah he plans to kill him when they meet at a frozen-over Lake St. Clair. Later Jeremiah discloses that the $400,000 will be used to buy Sweet’s assassins’ cooperation in exchange for killing Sweet, who is already enraged by him due to his egregious maltreatment of them. Just as Bobby arrives, Sweet confronts him aggressively and demands to know who will be the one to murder him. During their altercation, Bobby uses his hockey prowess to gain the upper hand and knock Sweet out cold. His former henchmen seal his doom when they throw him into a hole cut out of the ice. This marks the end of their long journey since they had accomplished their mission of avenging their mother’s death (YouTube, 2023). According to instrumental conditioning, people tend to behave in a certain manner in order to get rewarded. In this case, Bobby, Angel, and Jerry considered revenge on their mother as a reward, and therefore they had to kill the people who participated in their mother’s death to get the reward.
After getting their reward, they are arrested and taken to police custody where they are beaten in order to make them confess to the killing of Sweet, but they do not provide any information. They knew that if they confessed to Sweet’s death, they would be incarcerated, and they would not feel like they had accomplished their mission. They were released from police custody and went back to their mother’s house, and they repaired it and continued living there as they used to (YouTube, 2023). They celebrate with their wives the achievement they have made even though they were mourning the demise of their younger brother, Jack, who was murdered while seeking revenge for their demised mother.
In conclusion, operant conditioning is among several theories that explain the reason why people behave the way they do. It states that rewarding behaviors are likely to be repeated, while those with negative consequences are likely not to be repeated. In reference to the film, the four brothers considered revenge for their mother’s death as a reward, and therefore they acquired criminal behaviors, such as killing in order to achieve their main goal or reward.
Reference
Arifin, Z., & Humaedah, H. (2021). Application of Theory Operant Conditioning BF Skinner’s in PAI Learning: Penerapan Teori Operant Conditioning BF Skinner Dalam Pembelajaran PAI. Journal of Contemporary Islamic Education, 1(2), 101-110.
Cherry, K. (2019). What is operant conditioning, and how does it work? How reinforcement and punishment modify behavior. Verywell Mind.
YouTube. (2012, March 2). Four Brothers (1/9) movie clip – Evelyn’s Murder (2005) HD. YouTube. Retrieved April 12, 2023, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcW6m0Rg1-8&list=PL1DF5CBA8A1861482&index=1