Customer Association and the Success of the Branding Strategy of Starbucks Coffee - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 12 Words: 3652 Downloads: 2 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Marketing Essay Type Research paper Level High school Did you like this example? ‘The Way I See It: Customer Association and the Success of the Branding Strategy of Starbucks Coffee Introduction Maintaining an effective brand image is a challenging task, where a company needs to maintain the sense of momentum without losing a sense of continuity (Cagan and Vogel, 2001). The power of the Starbucks brand is exceptionally strong and has been imitated by numerous related and unrelated products and companies around the world (Knapp, 1999: 199). The expansion of Starbucks from just a small coffee provider into a global brand was swift and effective (Schultz and Yang, 1997). Behind this global explosion lay the concept of a Starbucks brand, one which bombarded the customer on all five senses from the smell of the coffee, the modern artwork on the walls to the contemporary music soundtrack and polished pinewood tables (Bedbury and Fenichell, 2003: 107). By February 2008, however, the brand had suffered 40% decline in share price and owing to the current recession is being forced into a programme of store closures (Smales, 2008). Several reasons lay behind this, such as the s uccess of rival coffee houses, the saturation of some areas with Starbucks coffeehouses and the decline in consumer spending at a time of economic hardship. However, this decline in sales was not simply due to exogenous factors: it represented the decline in the brands effectiveness. For the first time, the Starbucks brand has been forced onto the back foot. In many previous examples of a strong brand suffering a decline in sales, brands often suffer because the company fails to take stock of the associative aspects of branding – the elements added by the customer to the brand or product based upon their own experiences (Ries, 2004: 196). A company cannot control what the consumer associates with the brand, it can only point them in the right direction. This research will therefore aim to investigate if the Starbucks decline resulted from a failure of strategy that led to negative associations being made with the brand. It is important to see how close the feedback loop is kept in Starbucks, in the extent to which the company tracks and reinforces customer perception of the brand. Put simply, this research will aim therefore to examine the extent to which what Starbucks wants customers to think of them is matched by what customers really think of them. Though sounding simple, it represents a vital part of the branding exercise that can sometimes be overlooked by some, often very popular and successful, companies. Research objectives To examine and analyse the branding methods used by Starbucks that created the hugely successful global company To conduct primary research to establish the associations with the Starbucks brand made by a plethora of consumers, from actual Starbucks customers to a more random sampling to glean a general perception of the associations of Starbucks. To establish whether the brand of Starbucks has been watered down and lost its brand impact, or whether it simply face increased competition from imitators a nd a weak global economy. To analyse the extent to which attempts being made to find a new avenues for development for Starbucks seem like based on an effective appraisal of the strengths and weaknesses of the brand. Background The first Starbucks opened in Seattle in 1971 (Michelli, 2006: 2). Originally only set up to roast and sell beans, the first significant step towards their development into a global brand began when Howard Schultz was appointed director of marketing in 1982. On a trip to Milan, Italy, Schultz encountered European Coffee bar culture and aimed to attempt to associate psychosocial meaning of coffee to the stores (Schultz and Yang, 1997). However, this was initially rejected and Schultz thus founded his own chain called Il Giornale. In 1987 Starbucks was sold to Schultz who, after renaming all his Il Giornale stores Starbucks, began its initial period of expansion (Clark, 2007). By 1992, Starbucks had grown to 165 coffeehouses and their first store outside North America was opened in Japan in 1996. After a acquiring a number of other coffeehouse chains, Starbucks expanded quickly and after being initially floated on the stock market in 1992, expanded by 5,000% by 2006 (Michelli, 2006: 3). Schultz retired as managing director in 2000 but returned in 2008 to attempt to return the chain to its initial philosophy and success, claiming that the brand had become diluted and blaming store ‘cannibalisation where the fast expansion had resulted in too many stores in some areas. On 1st July 2008, the company announced it was to sell 600 outlets and in the same month the company cut approximately a thousand jobs (Smales, 2008). In January 2009, 300 more stores were announced to close. Schults innovation to the branding was to see an opportunity to ‘transform the traditional American coffee experience from the ordinary to the extraordinary (Michelli, 2006: 2). ‘The true size of the Starbucks brand is more subjec tive than quantifiable, (Knapp, 1999: 197). A key component of the Starbucks identity has been the rigid focus on establishing brand loyalty through customer experience (‘one cup at a time) rather than through aggressive marketing and advertisement. Schultz argues that in the 1990s, Starbucks spent more money on training than on advertising (Schultz and Yang, 1999). The construction of the Starbucks brand took account of the fact that brands tend to absorb all associations around it and therefore was constructed from the very basic aspects of staff training to create a friendly atmosphere to the dà ©cor on the walls. It does not franchise its stores in order to maintain full control (Michelli, 2006). It was seen as a company philosophy, not simply a marketing exercise and as such pervaded all departments, each employee, and every aspect of design. For example, Starbucks coffee machines are fixed at a lower level and on the counter allowing the coffee server to maintain eye contact with the customer rather than turning their back on them (Schultz and Yang, 1997). This holistic philosophy was vital for establishing Starbucks as a significant and fundamental coffee retailer. It represented a heightened awareness of brand environmentalism before it had become more mainstream (Bedbury and Fenichelli, 2006: 111). The company even banned smoking from its stores long before smoking bans developed in North America and Europe, simply in order to maintain the aroma of freshly roasted coffee and avoid any inadvertent negative associations of their brand (Michelli, 2006). Starbucks attempts to offer not just an especially well-brewed cup of coffee, but to reinforce their expertise as researchers, purveyors and professionals in providing the perfect cup of coffee for the customer (Bedbury and Fenichell, 2006: 108). Schultzs attempted to not only transfer the taste of freshly roasted coffee, but to transfer the entire welcoming social experience from Med iterranean culture to North America and beyond. The astonishing success of the experiment means such branding was evidently enormously successful. However, the plight Starbucks has found itself in the last two years suggests that such innovative thinking may well have lost its momentum and a question mark now hangs over its potential for future success. It is not certain if the brand needs more or less innovation: whether changes made in the last decade has made the customer lose sight of the original benefits of the brand (as Schultz maintains), or whether, in fact, the original idea only had a limited mileage. It has been maintained that the company expanded too quickly in a period of global economic health and thus finds itself stranded when faced with a global economic downturn. However, it is not simply that it expanded too quickly – if it could maintain the market it developed, it would likely find the level of expansion more sustainable than it appears. For a com pany which became an enormous global brand in a very short space of time through an innovative form of thinking, Starbucks now faces significant challenges to maintain and reinforce its dominance of the coffeehouse industry. Literature Review A fundamental question of this research is essentially: what has gone wrong with the Starbucks brand? Has negative customer association taken place, or has the positive brand image undergone a dilution and lost its original impact? Branding encompasses more than simply semiotics and imagery, and embraces a plethora of media and psychology (Ries, 2004: 7). Put simply, a product is something which a company sells but a brand is something which a customer buys. Although the history of branding seems relatively short, emerging as a conscious objective in the Nineteenth Century, elements of association can be seen in the Port of Portugal or tea from China from at least the Seventeenth Century. However, branding exercises became an obsessi ve form of marketing in the mid to late Nineteenth Century, resulting in some of the most longstanding brand-names such as Cadbury, Schwepps, Bovril and Oxo. Branding became very significant after 1869 when Heinz offered successful pickles that were then trusted and enjoyed by consumers, eventually becoming the brand itself. One a brand loyalty has been secured, consumers seem to be reticent to avoid developing and switching loyalties; a factor pointed out in the Heinz slogan ‘Beanz Meanz Heinz (Rooney, 1995). Where many identical products existed, attempts were made to increase the value to the consumer. A number of techniques were developed for this method, and many brands were reinforced through sponsorship of expeditions such as Robert Scotts Antarctic expeditions, were the photographs showing intrepid explorers munching on Cadburys proved to be an important new avenue for reinforcing a brand (Cubitt and Warren, 2000: 118). A strong brand can anticipate longevity in the marketplace: in 1923 the brand leaders in motorcycles and soft drinks were Harley Davidson and Coca Cola and so it is today (Kathman, 2002: 27). Branding is traditionally seen as receiving its first definition in a memorandum issued by the firm Proctor and Gamble in Cincinnati in 1931 (Kathman, 2002: 25). This articulated the basic principles of brand management as research, development and communication. Branding received a boost by the development of large-scale supermarkets where similar products would be displayed next to each other meaning the package no longer similar encased the product, it had now to sell it. Manufacturers gradually began to develop the principles of creating the image of a brand from visual means. Contemporaneously, Louis Cheskin developed the ‘Principle of Sensation Transference which demonstrated that consumers tend to assign expectations and associations of products based on the design, shape, colours of the packages of a product (R ies, 2004). This increased the role of the designer in product development to one selling a product in addition to simply a practical solution. This was exacerbated by the increase of self-select environments in the retail environment. At the core of a branding exercise lies the product itself. This can be surrounded by a primary mantel of branding, the packaging, name, and ways in which the product is presented. The outer mantel is the warranty, the delivery credit, after-sales service and other factors that can augment the product beyond its initial use (Ries, 2004). Almost anything can be branded and it is seen as comprising four main factors: the attributes, benefits, values and the personality. Different brands can focus on different aspects, such as a banking service focusing on the values provided by the product. The characteristic of a strong brand is that it offers significant financial and perceptual benefits, is consistent and focuses on quality and uses a full mar keting mix to consolidate performance and position. As Schmitt (2000: 165) notes, ‘products are no longer bundles of functional characteristics, but a means to provide and enhance a users experience†¦ consumers want to be stimulated, entertained, educated and challenged. The theoretical perspective of branding has undergone resurgence in recent years. Rather than being understood simply as a ‘name, term, sign, symbol, or a design or simply a ‘major issue in product strategy, (Kotler, 2000: 396, 404), brands have become holistic and sophisticated entities (Keller, 2003). For Kapferer (1997), the brand is simply seen as a sign that uncovers the qualities of the product. Whereas branding traditionally was under the control of the marketing department, the strategy now appears to be much more than this, to the extent of being seen as representing not only the product but the company philosophy (Aaker and Joachmisthaler, 2000). Recent contributions to the literature have included Aaker and Joachmisthaler (2000) who posit the theory of brand leadership model as one which embraces notions of strategy rather than the traditional model of tactics (Urde, 2003). They see the building of branding as encompassing the four challenges: organizational, brand architecture, brand identity and position and brand building. An alternative model is provided by Davis (2000) which sees the brand as an asset. He defines this as a fiscal approach, which attempts to build the ‘meaning of the brand, communicating it internally and externally (Davis, 2000: 12). This conception of a brand is one which fits the Starbucks model well, from its staff training to its corporate philosophy, the company sees its brand as having a tangible meaning rather than simply a means to sell a product (Michelli, 2006). This ‘corporate branding has received attention also by Aaker (2004) and Schultz and Hatch (2003). The theoretical and analytical debate of branding in the literature has tended to lag behind the practical success of branding strategies, and so it appears Starbucks company philosophy was developed ahead of its theoretical articulation. Starbucks is often used in marketing and business textbooks as a clear example of a successful brand (Knapp, 1999: 199). Given that a brands success results in imitation and further theoretical and strategic articulation, it would seem paramount that if the Starbucks example of what can be dubbed a successful ‘holistic brand is to be retained, then it would be a significant and important contribution to the debate to establish ‘what has gone wrong with what was a runaway success story of effective branding in the 1990s. If the success of this branding strategy is to be imitated then the potential for its longevity should be established. Put simply, are people just bored of Starbucks now the novelty has worn off and there are a plethora of imitators, or can this be seen simply as a ‘blip for a brand which holds the potential to be around for as long as Heinz? Rationale for study This study in partial fulfilment of the degree will contribute to the branding debate by investigating and analysing a vital aspect of the Starbucks brand. Brand strategy can only manipulate customers associations and emotions with regard to a product so far, and a feedback loop is essential to ensure that the intended associations are made by the customers (Aaker and Joachmisthaler, 2000). Furthermore, it will contribute to an understanding of the coffeehouse industry and the extent to which the Starbucks phenomenon shows signs of longevity as with other brands. Resources Required No extraordinary resources will be required for this study beyond a PC, photocopier and time. The fiscal resources required will be kept minimal. Methodology A questionnaire research strategy will be devised in order to ensure a stratified sample. Extremely short quest ionnaires will be used to establish the associations of Starbucks with a number of individuals. This will be semi-structured questionnaires where it is anticipated that the responses can be graded and coded according to positive or negative associations. A number of research locations will be considered in order to establish the most effective spread of respondents. For example, Starbucks customers will be used in order to provide an index of responses (it can be presumed associations will be largely positive) and then respondents sought from locations where their relationship with Starbucks cannot be seen as being unduly effected by any environmental or temporal variables. Research Design Using a short questionnaire such as this means the research will sit between a quantitative form of collecting data and a qualitative in that the results will be analysed using quantitative techniques but little guidance is provided to frame the questions. This means time will need be spent coding the responses and entering them into a spreadsheet program such as Excel. An important dimension of the research strategy includes establishing the sampling procedure. At least part of this research will come from asking individuals in the street, and the location of the researcher and the time at which the research is carried out are all likely to have an effect on the results. The importance of this factor is not just in asking ‘the average man on the street but establishing as wide a sweep as possible to examine the associations not just with product users (coffee drinkers) but to examine the effectiveness of the Starbucks brand in maintaining an association with all individuals. A negative response is therefore as important in this case as a positive response and the questionnaire must be carefully structured to ensure that even non-coffee drinkers can consider what they associate with Starbucks. By conducting this research using a variety of media and a variety of locations, it is hoped the potential exists to compare and contrast the different samples, but also to build up as wide a picture of the public perception of the Starbucks brand in the UK as a whole. This can then be compared to the Starbucks brand as represented in Schultz and Yang (1999) and its corporate literature such as ‘The Green Apron Book, their website and publicity material, and analyses made in the secondary literature. It is important to recognise that this, in itself, does not signify the success or the failure of a brand, but it may offer some clues into the downturn experienced by the Starbucks brand. Ethical Issues It is vital, of course, to receive the consent of the individuals who will respond to the questionnaire. Although each respondent may be given a code, no identifying data will be taken. Unlike brand strategists, the researcher is at great pains not to affect the way in which the customer might view Starbucks and so it is vit al to ensure that the respondents are aware that the researcher does not in any way represent the company. It would, however, be courteous to liaise with a Starbucks coffeehouse, particularly if attempts will be made to secure a sample of bona fide Starbucks customers, and attempts will be made to ensure that attention is paid to copyright and intellectual property. Contact will be made with Starbucks, informing them of the intentions of this research and requesting any further information that may come in useful but for reasons of independence it would be prudent to maintain a respectable distance from the company itself. Most data regarding the company will be taken from publicly-available sources and published works and confidentiality issues will not pose a problem in this case. Anticipated Problems and Solutions The construction of the questionnaire is likely to represent on of the most time-consuming aspects of this study and attempts will be made to ensure that â €˜test drafts are used and enough time is maintained to make effective evaluations and revisions to the content. Furthermore, establishing a suitable sampling technique is liable to be a difficult task and the number of respondents is likely to vary depending on time of day, day of week and other factors that might make establishing a firm unbiased empirical foundation difficult. Great pains must be taken to ensure that as many respondents are sought as possible, and the temptation to tend to approach those who might appear to the researcher to proffer the greatest likelihood of answering questions is avoided. However, this is a key factor in Social Science research and one that is always difficult to sidestep – even if a more anonymous data collection method was used, the respondents would tend to be self-selecting (Crouch and Housden, 2003: 138). Selecting suitable locations to conduct the research is important and the relationship of the researchers location to an y Starbucks (or other) coffeehouses must be carefully and fully considered as factors that might well have an effect on results. However, it is this researchers opinion that the greater the number of respondents and the greater the number of locations and methods of data collection, the greater the likelihood that any random bias will tend to balance itself out as long as no systematic selection factors are at work. Bibliography Aaker, D. A. and Joachimsthaler, E., 2000. Brand Leadership, London: Free Press. Bedbury, S. and Fenichell, S., 2003. A new brand world: 8 principles for achieving brand leadership in the 21st century. London: Penguin. Behar, H. with Goldstein J., 2007. Its Not About The Coffee: Leadership Principles from a Life at Starbucks. London: Portfolio Budd, M. amd Kirsch M. H., 2005. Rethinking Disney: private control, public dimensions. Middletown: Wesleyan University Press. Cagan, J. M. and Vogel, C. M., 2001. Creating breakthrough products: i nnovation from product planning to program approval. London: FT Press. Clark, T. 2007. Starbucked: A Double Tall Tale of Caffeine, Commerce and Culture. New York: Little Brown. Crouch, S., and Housden M., 2003. Marketing research for managers (3rd edn.) New York: Butterworth-Heinemann. Davis, S. M., 2000. Brand Asset Management: Driving Profitable Growth through Your Brands, San Francisco: Josey Bass. Kapferer, J., 1997. Strategic Brand Management. London: Coogan. Kathman, J., 2002. ‘Brand Identity Development in the New Economy.Design Issues, 18.1,24-35. Knapp, D. E. 1999. The Brandmindset. New York: McGraw-Hill Professional. Kotler, P., 2000. Marketing Management. Chicago: Northwestern University Press. Michelli, J. A., 2006. The Starbucks experience: 5 principles for turning ordinary into extraordinary, New York: McGraw Hill Professional. Ries, L., 2004. The origin of brands: discover the natural laws of product innovation and business survival. L ondon: HarperBusiness. Rooney, J. A. 1995. ‘Branding: A Trend for Today and Tomorrow, Journal of Product Brand Management, 4:4, 48-55. Schmitt, B. H., 2000. Experimental Marketing. London: Free Press. Schultz, H. and Yang, D. J., 1997. Pour Your Heart Into It: How Starbucks Built A Company One Cup At A Time, New York: Hyperion. Schultz M. and Hatch, M J., 2003. ‘The Cycles of Corporate Branding: The Case of the LEGO Company, California Management Review, 46:1, 6-26. Smales, W., 2008. ‘Why Starbucks Sales Have Gone Cold, https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/ 7219458.stm Urde, M., 2003. ‘Core Value-Based Corporate Brand Building, European Journal of Marketing, 37:8, 1017-1040. Warren, A., and Cubitt, G., 2000. Heroic reputations and exemplary lives. Manchester: Manchester University Press. Find out more from UK Essays here: https://www.ukessays.com/services/example-essays/marketing/success-of-the-branding-strategy-of-starbucks.php#ixzz3 EEbwDhyb Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Customer Association and the Success of the Branding Strategy of Starbucks Coffee" essay for you Create order

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The Assassination Of John F. Kennedy Essay - 2571 Words

In January of 1960, a young man by the name of John F. Kennedy was sworn in to uphold the office of President of the United States of America. He was assassinated on November 22, 1963, when he was only 46 years old. There is lots of speculation about the way he died. Here are just a few questions concerning his death. Who or how many people were involved in President John F. Kennedy’s assassination? This is a question that has baffled many people for 33 years. Some of the main questions are: Was Lee Harvey Oswald the lone assassin? This question may never be answered. Is there a possibility that there could have been another rifleman? What is the minimum time to get three shots off with the Mannlicher Carcano bolt action rifle? Why did†¦show more content†¦Jack Ruby was a nightclub owner. It is believed that Ruby had connections with the mob. People say that this theory had â€Å"mob† written all over it. When the so-called â€Å"mob† killed the President, they got him in crossfire. First they formed a triangle, one in the book depository, one behind the picket fence, and one on the monument. This forms a triangle, which supports this theory called trianglism. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The next theory is unlikely to happen. It is the â€Å"superbullet† theory. This theory is trying to convince us that one single bullet did all of the damage. This is virtually impossible. The bullet would have to hit President Kennedy in the neck and then hit Connaly through the back, chest, wrist, and thigh, then re-enter Kennedy’s head on top. See what I mean—impossible. Some people believed that this happened. Governor Connaly said that he is certain that the first shot hit Kennedy and him at the same time. This theory is impossible according to the Zapruder film. The film shows a definite delay between the wounding of the two men—a delay too short for the Carcano rifle to be shot twice by one man, and too long to leave the â€Å"superbullet† theory with credibility. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Some people think that Fidel Castro had President Kennedy shot. (Posner 122-148) Motive, yes he had motive. In October 1962 Kennedy faced the most serious international crisis of hisShow MoreRelatedThe Assassination Of John F. Kennedy982 Words   |  4 Pages O’Reilly and Dugard’s book, Killing Kennedy, is about the events leading to President John F. Kennedy being shot, as well as what happened after the assassination. This book also describes the rise and fall of John F. Kennedy. The authors also wrote about the Cold War, Kennedy dealing with communism, and threats of crime. January of 1961, the cold war was growing stronger and Kennedy was struggling with communism. During all of this happening, he was learning what it meant to be a president. 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Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States, was assassinated on November 22, 1963 at 12:30 p.m Central Standard Time in Dallas, Texas while riding in a motorcade in Dealey Plaza.[1] Kennedy was fatally shot by Lee Harvey Oswald while he was riding with his wife, Jacqueline, Texas Governor John Connally, and Connally s wife, Nellie, in a presidential motorcade. A ten-month investigation by the Warren Commission from November 1963 to September 1964

Priming Of Social Attitudes Free Essays

string(108) " measured the total number of people to interupt in each condition, rather than the time taken to interupt\." Abstract Previous research has indicated that social behaviour can be automatically activated when primed by traits (Higgins, Rholes Jones, 1977). The present study investigated whether participants are more like to interrupt an experimenter and unseen confederate when primed by words semantically associated with rudeness, compared with positive and neutral words. It represented a replication of the Bargh, Chen and Burrows experiment (1996) with one alteration; the total number of interruptions rather than time taken to interrupt was measured. We will write a custom essay sample on Priming Of Social Attitudes or any similar topic only for you Order Now 54 undergraduate students aged between 19 and 25 participated in a between-subjects experiment, and were randomly assigned to one of three experimental levels. Participants were asked to complete a Scrambled Sentence Task containing either rude, polite or neutral words. In order to indicate their completion, participants had to interrupt the conversation of the experimenter. As hypothesised, particpants allocated to the rude condition were significantly more likely to interrupt the experimenter than those in the neutral or polite conditions. Introduction The extent to which one has intentional control over their own thoughts and behaviours has formed the basis of much research in the field of social psychology. During the 1970’s the distinction between automatic and conscious thought processes emerged, and has became the focus of much attention (Bargh, 1989). Research concentrating on social cognition and attitude formation has documented that many phenomena are unintentional or automatic in nature. Stereotypes, for example, can be automatically elicited merely by the presense of physical features commonly associated with the stereotyped group. Similarly, the presense of an ‘attitude object’ can automatically elicit an attitude, which in turn exerts influence on behaviour (Bargh, Chen Burrows, 1996). Both are examples of priming, which refers to the effect observed when exposure to a certain stimulus influences responses to a second stimulus. In social psychology, priming can be understood in terms of the tendenc y for recent information to influence subsequent thoughts. An early example of this came from Higgins, Rholes and Jones (1977). In this research, particpants read a passage involving a man attempting certain ambitious physical feats. Prior to this, particpants were told they were particpating in a memory task, and were given a list of attributes to read. Half of the particpants were ‘positvely primed’ and given words such as ‘adventurous’ and ‘brave’. The other half were ‘negatively primed’ and given words such as ‘foolish’ and ‘reckless’. After reading the passage, particpants were asked to give their impressions of the man in the story. Those who had been positively primed formed more positive impressions of the man in the passage than those who had been negatively primed. Forgas and Bower (1987) looked at the effect of priming on how people judge information about others. Participants were assigned to one of two conditions. In the first condition, participants were given information that primed a happy mood. In the second, particpants were given information to prime a sad mood. Participants in both conditions were then given identical person descriptions to read. They found that those who had been primed to experience a happy mood formed more positive impressions of the people in the person descriptions than those primed to experience a sad mood. An experiment by Bargh, Chen and Burrows (1996; exp2) demonstrated that priming influences behaviour, investigating the behavioural consequence of automatic stereotype activation based on the premise that a typical stereotypical view of the elderly concerns slowness. Participants were presented with scrambled sentences containing words that related to elderly stereotypes, or sentences containing neutral words. Importantly, the authors ensured that none of the words in the ‘elderly’ condition were directly related to slowness. This ensured that any observed behaviour change was attributable to the stereotype of elderly being activated (and the associated assumptions of slowness) rather than focusing attention on the single trait of being slow. Following this, particpants were asked to leave the room, and were timed walking down a hallway to return to the waiting area, to test whether priming participants with the concept of elderly would automatically and unconsciously ch ange their behaviour to emulate the elderly. As predicted, participants who were primed with the stereotypical information took longer to walk down the hallway than those who received the neutral information. Carver, Ganellen, Froming and Chambers (1983) demonstrated the priming effect of aggression on particpant’s subsequent behaviour. Participants were divided into two conditions and given scrambled sentences containing either aggressive or neutral concepts, diguised as part of a seemingly unrelated study. They were then asked to participate in an experiment of human learning where particpants were able to punish another participant (actually a confederate) by administering electric shocks for incorrect responses. Those in the aggressive condition administered stronger shocks than those in the control condition. The studies discussed thus far have indicated that priming can influence both perceptions and behaviour. From this premise, Bargh et al. (1996, exp 1) investigated whether this effect overrode the typical processes one uses in everyday life, such as social judgement. In this experiment, 34 participants were informed that they were taking part in a test of language ability, and presented with a scrambled sentence test. They were randomly assigned to one of three conditions priming conditions, rude, polite and neutral. Participants were asked to complete the task individually, then notify the experimenter in another room. When the participant entered the second room, they found the experimenter in conversation with a second participant (a confederate). The critical outcome measure of the study was the length of time the participant took to interupt the conversation between the experimenter and confederate. They found that those in the rude condition did interupt significantly faster th an those in the polite and neutral conditions. However, the results suffered from significant ceiling effects; 21 of the 34 participants did not interupt at all. The present study was a replication of Bargh et al.’s(1996) experiment and borrows heavily from their methodology, but with one critical difference. In an attempt to address the methodological issues caused by the strong ceiling effects observed by Bargh et al., the current experiment measured the total number of people to interupt in each condition, rather than the time taken to interupt. You read "Priming Of Social Attitudes" in category "Essay examples" Based on the findings of Bargh et al., the experimental hypothesis predicted that significantly more particpants in the ‘rude’ condition would interupt the experimenter than those in the ‘polite’ and neutral conditions. Furthermore, it was predicted that there would be no significant difference in the number of participants in the polite and neutral conditons who interupted the experimenter. Method Participants A total of 54 undergraduate psychology students, 34 females and 19 males, aged between 19-25 (mean age 20.3), volunteered to participate in the experiment. Materials Each of the participants was presented with â€Å"Scrambled Sentence Test† which was presented as a test of language ability. Comprising 30 items, participants had to use listed words to form a grammatically correct four-word sentence as quickly as possible. There were three versions of the scrambled-sentence test: for the rude and polite conditions, 15 of the 30 items contained words that were associated with the trait in question. In the neutral condition, these 15 were replaced with neutral words. The remaining 15 items were idetical across the three conditions. Design ?he design of the experiment was between subjects, and had three experimental conditions. Participants were randomly assigned to each condition. The independent variable was the condition that the participant was assigned to and had three levels; rude, polite and neutral. The dependent variable was the number of participants who interupted the experimenter. Procedure Participants took part in the experiment one at a time. They were informed that they were to participate in a language ability study, and their consent to participate was obtained. Each participant received an envelope that contained 30 scrambled sentences, and were told the task was concerned with grammatical construction. They were asked to form a grammatically correct four-word sentence from a list of five-word scrambled sentences. Particpants were then given one of three versions of the test (rude, polite or neutral) of the scrambled-sentence test, and asked to complete it as quickly as possible. Upon completion, participants were asked to find the experimenter in a second room and notify them of their completion, in order to move on to the next experimental task. Participants was randomly assigned to each condition, to which the experimenter was blind. When the participant entered the second room, the experimenter appeared to be engaged with another unseen particpant (actually a confederate). The experimenter and confederate continued their discussion until interupted by the participant. The confederate noted which of the participants elected to interrupt. Results Table 1: Total number of participants who did/did not interrupt in each condition (polite, neutral, rude). Word Type Polite (n)Neutral (n)Rude (n) Did not interrupt15108 Interrupted3612 The dependent variable of the experiment was the total number of participants that interrupted the experimenter in each word type condition, and as can be seen from Table 1, participants in the rude condition interrupted most frequently (n = 12). Participants in the polite condition interrupted the least (n = 3). The propensity to interrupt increased across the levels of the independent variable; a higher number of participants in the neutral condition (n = 6) interrupted than in the polite group. A higher number again interrupted in the rude group. The results of this experiment were statistically analysed used a Chi-square goodness-of-fit test. This test was selected as the data was categorical, numerical and discrete. It produced a goodness-of-fit between the observed and expected values. If priming had no effect on interrupting behaviour, distribution across the conditions would be equal. The Chi-square test demonstrated whether the observed frequencies differed significantly from the expected frequencies. The result of the Chi-square was significant; participants in the rude condition were significantly more likely to interrupt the experimenter than participants in the neutral or positive condition, x2 (2, N = 54) = 7.50, p 0.5. Discussion This study examined whether priming traits (rudeness and politeness) could have an impact on social behaviour. It was hypothesized that participants primed with rude traits would be more likely to interrupt an experimenter ostensibly engaged in a conversation with an unseen ‘participant’ than those who were primed with positive or neutral traits, and this hypothesis was fully supported by the results of the experiment. The study confirmed that people, when influenced by a rude prime condition, would demonstrate a negative impact on social behaviour, whilst the social behaviour of those who were influenced by a polite or neutral prime condition were unaffected. This finding supported the results of Bargh et al. (1996) despite the change to the dependent variable. This provides compelling evidence for their hypothesis regarding the automatic activation of social behaviours in the face of certain environmental features (in both cases, the rude primes). Not only does the replication confirm the original study findings, but the change in the dependent variable in the study under discussion improves on the methodological design flaw of the original. Interestingly, the present study also supported the original study finding of no significant difference in interrupting behaviour between the polite and neutral groups. This indicates that it is rude behaviour that is most likely to be automatically activated. Priming a participant with polite trait information does not appear to increase an individual’s politeness, or a significant difference between the neutral and polite levels would be observed. This is somewhat at odds with previous resea rch which indicated a bias towards increased postivity via priming (Higgins et al., 1977; Forgas Bower, 1987). However, these studies looked at the effect of priming on judgement, and not on behaviour. If the result of the present study is compared with Carver et al. (1983) study of negative priming and electric shock administration, both show an increased bias towards the propensity to prime negative behaviour. Although the change in the dependent variable from time to interrupt to presence of interrupting behaviour resolved the issue of ceiling effects described by Bargh et al. (1996), whilst producing a similar result, some detail was lost. Moving from a numerical scale (time) to a categorical measurement meant that the choice of statistical analysis available was limited. A future replication might involve measuring the total number of participants that interrupted, and the time taken among those that did. A second factor that should be considered is the possibility that those in the rude condition were simply a ruder group of participants and were more likely to interrupt despite the priming effect. To control for this possibility, a future replication could incorporate a personality questionnaire to control for propensity towards rude behaviour. The current study was a replication of Baugh et al.’s (1996) experiment 2. To resolve the original study’s problem of ceiling effects, a change was made to the dependent variable; instead of measuring the time taken to interrupt, the total number of those interrupting in each condition was measured. The results supported the finding of the original study, presentation of the rudeness trait primes subsequent rude behaviour; therefore social behaviour can be automatically triggered without conscious thought. References Bargh, J. A. (1989). Conditional automaticity: Varieties of automatic influence in social perception and cognition. In J. S. Uleman, J. A. Bargh (Eds.), Unintended Thought (pp. 3-51). New York: Guilford Press. Bargh, J.A., Chen, M., Burrows, L. (1996). Automaticity of social behavior: Direct effects of trait construct and stereotype activation on action, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 71, 230-244. Carver, C., Ganellen, R., Froming, W., Chambers, W. (1983). Modelling: an analysis in terms of c ategory accessibility. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 19, 403–421. Forgas, J. P. Moylan, S. J. (1987). After the movies: The effects of transient mood states on social judgments. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 13, 478-489. Higgins, E. T., Rholes, W. S., Jones, C. R. (1977). Category accessibility and impression formation. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology,13, 141–154. How to cite Priming Of Social Attitudes, Essay examples

HG Wells successfully brings a sense of fear and danger through his writing techniques Essay Example For Students

HG Wells successfully brings a sense of fear and danger through his writing techniques Essay In the science-fiction novel The War of Worlds, Wells uses a contemporary setting in which new ideas are being formulated and new discoveries are being made. Charles Darwins Origin of Species had just been written and scientists were exploring the possibilities of life on other planets. H.G Wells uses the theory of evolution to great effect and portrays humans as the weaker race. Wells introduces beings that are so evolved that they technologically dwarf the human race. He does not let the reader escape the fear brought on by the idea that there are creatures significantly superior to themselves. Almost instantly, Wells succeeds in making his audience feel insecure. He describes how the people on Earth are being watched and how the Martians scrutinized and studied. The feeling of insecurity is further enhanced by the humans being oblivious to the fact that they were being watched. It is inferred that the Martians know much about the human way of life and will use it to their advantage. This supreme knowledge is in stark contrast to the ignorant and unsuspecting nature of the human race. For the reader, it is frightening to think of the possibility that there is a force so powerful, that humans are compared to transient creatures that swarm and multiply in a drop of water. Wells objects to the arrogance of his fellow men, Yet so vain is man, and so blinded by his vanity. It is also expressed that their frightening lack of preparation in their supposedly secure environment will lead to their downfall. It seemed so safe and tranquil indicates the calm before the impending storm. Wells portrays the planet of Mars as rapidly deteriorating and thus unable to sustain life for much longer, it is not only more distant from lifes beginning but nearer its end. The novel is given a sense of scientific credibility through the use of precise numerical detail, The planet Marsrevolves about the Sun at a mean distance of 140,000,000 miles. Written at the turn of the century there was a strong belief in the integrity of science. Thus, since Wells supports his fictional presentation of alien invasion with scientific fact it is deemed realistic and consequently more terrifying. Further fear is derived from the fact that Martians must colonise new planets no matter what the cost. The immediate pressure of necessity has brightened their intellects, enlarged their powers, and hardened their hearts, emphasises the Martians desperation and the sense of imminent danger. In War of the Worlds Wells cleverly makes an unlikely situation seem real by using real place names such as Chobam, Shepperton and St.Albans. It is unnerving that these places mentioned that once seemed so secure, are destroyed in a matter of minutes. The novel also features ordinary people and how they react at the face of adversity. The reader identifies with these ordinary civilians and is able to empathise with their distress. The readers emotional involvement with the characters deepens their fear and concern regarding their fate. Wells induces fear by forcing the reader to contemplate their personal response to chaos and destruction. It is arguable that, , if ever confronted with such a situation , the reader would respond like the narrator or the narrators brother who both behave rationally whilst under pressure. In contrast the Curate cannot cope and thinks that the Martians were sent by God and there is no hope of survival, How can Gods ministers be killed? The Curates demise, undermines the audiences belief in stability and organisation of society. Furthermore is the reader is shocked into considering their own reaction when confronted with anarchy and uproar. Using these two contrasting characters, Wells cleverly puts the reader in the uncomfortable position of asking how they would react. The reader is forced to consider the extreme lengths that people will go to ensure their survival, three people at leastwere crushed and trampled there and left to die. .uecfc007136f7306c9643e25b1cd0e948 , .uecfc007136f7306c9643e25b1cd0e948 .postImageUrl , .uecfc007136f7306c9643e25b1cd0e948 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .uecfc007136f7306c9643e25b1cd0e948 , .uecfc007136f7306c9643e25b1cd0e948:hover , .uecfc007136f7306c9643e25b1cd0e948:visited , .uecfc007136f7306c9643e25b1cd0e948:active { border:0!important; } .uecfc007136f7306c9643e25b1cd0e948 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .uecfc007136f7306c9643e25b1cd0e948 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .uecfc007136f7306c9643e25b1cd0e948:active , .uecfc007136f7306c9643e25b1cd0e948:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .uecfc007136f7306c9643e25b1cd0e948 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .uecfc007136f7306c9643e25b1cd0e948 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .uecfc007136f7306c9643e25b1cd0e948 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .uecfc007136f7306c9643e25b1cd0e948 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .uecfc007136f7306c9643e25b1cd0e948:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .uecfc007136f7306c9643e25b1cd0e948 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .uecfc007136f7306c9643e25b1cd0e948 .uecfc007136f7306c9643e25b1cd0e948-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .uecfc007136f7306c9643e25b1cd0e948:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Writing essay about William ShakespeareWells further induces horror by portraying the hideous ways by which the Martians feed. He describes it in such a way that is not only awful but realistic also, and then began a shrieking and a sustained and cheerful hooting from the Martians. The narrator and the Curate see this taking place from the ruined house and Wells takes full advantage of this to increase the tension of the reader, brought on by the potential danger of their close proximity to the Martians. The tension is increased by the man and the young boy being killed and eaten to satisfy the hunger of the extra terrestrial beasts. The suspense in the ruined house howeve r, comes to a climax when the Martians hear the Curates cries, I have been still too long in tone that must have reached the pit. Wells portrays the narrators fear to great affect as the Martian probed the inside of the house, its gripping limbs curled inside the debris. The reader feels the narrators absolute terror as he takes refuge in the coal cellar, just feet away from the Martian, it touched the heel of my boot. I was on the verge of screaming. I bit my hand. Wells uses minimal detail when portraying gore and horror. To induce fear, the reader is forced to engage their imagination and in doing so becomes more involved with the emotions and fear. This is shown to be case when the Martians feed on the humans, He vanished behind the mound, and for a moment there was silence. Wells parallels the safe areas and areas of destruction to make the scenes of carnage seem more dangerous and terrifying. Not far from where the heat ray had been used, people do not even know of the Martians, Whats it all abart? The contrast between peace and mayhem increases the deadliness and horror of the Martians. The reader feels tension for the people that are so close to the Martians but are oblivious to their existence. The lack of communication and transport between small distances is worrying and creates suspense within the audience. When the narrator takes his wife just twelve miles away from the danger in Leatherhead, the reader is anxious as to whether this will be far enough away to ensure her safety. Wells audience is shocked and scared by the sheer power and might of the invading Martians. Not even the military can oppose the formidable force as previously thought, the sojersll stop em. Any human resistance appears futile and the reader is worried by their helplessness, The Cardigan men had tried a rushonly to be swept out of existence. At the time the British army was considered to be the best in the world and Wells makes his readers think the uncomfortable thought that if the greatest force cannot over come these beasts, there is no hope for survival, Death is coming! The thought that the human race is helpless to these Martians is highlighted by the destruction of the Thunderchild. The humans hopes are dashed when they see their pinnacle of modern technology being obliterated with relative ease, as it flew it rained darkness down on the land. Wells uses similes to great effect in this novel. When the first cylinder lands it is described as a poisoned dart. This warns the reader of impending doom and that the Martians will take over and plague the planet. Wells also makes the reader more apprehensive of the Martians by making them seem mystical and even more extra-terrestrial, causing a flash of light like summer lightening. To emphasise that the humans were being watched, and to make his audience uncomfortable, Wells uses alliteration. Scrutinised and studied reinforces the idea that the Martians are superior and makes them seem more powerful. To highlight the inevitable onslaught, Wells highlights the differences between the two species and describes the hideous physical attributes of the Martians, The lipless brim of which quivered and panted, dropping saliva. The body heaved and pulsated convulsively. .u2697374a00243acabe53aaba81f9c0c0 , .u2697374a00243acabe53aaba81f9c0c0 .postImageUrl , .u2697374a00243acabe53aaba81f9c0c0 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u2697374a00243acabe53aaba81f9c0c0 , .u2697374a00243acabe53aaba81f9c0c0:hover , .u2697374a00243acabe53aaba81f9c0c0:visited , .u2697374a00243acabe53aaba81f9c0c0:active { border:0!important; } .u2697374a00243acabe53aaba81f9c0c0 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u2697374a00243acabe53aaba81f9c0c0 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u2697374a00243acabe53aaba81f9c0c0:active , .u2697374a00243acabe53aaba81f9c0c0:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u2697374a00243acabe53aaba81f9c0c0 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u2697374a00243acabe53aaba81f9c0c0 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u2697374a00243acabe53aaba81f9c0c0 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u2697374a00243acabe53aaba81f9c0c0 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u2697374a00243acabe53aaba81f9c0c0:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u2697374a00243acabe53aaba81f9c0c0 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u2697374a00243acabe53aaba81f9c0c0 .u2697374a00243acabe53aaba81f9c0c0-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u2697374a00243acabe53aaba81f9c0c0:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: The Cycle of Fear EssayH.G Wells has succeeded in bringing fear and danger into the novel by making the reader aware of the emotions endured by the characters. The audience can relate to the novel as it uses a contemporary setting and the problems encountered can be applicable to the real world. Moreover, Wells uses the main theme of survival of the fittest and does not let his readers escape the possibility that they not the dominant species. He forces them to think of the consequences of being an inferior race, which for humans is an uncomfortable and unnerving thought.

What is Musical Romanticism Essay Example For Students

What is Musical Romanticism? Essay A great number of musicians, poets, musicologists and critics have attempted a definition of the term Musical Romanticism but there has not been a single simple explanation of the expression so far. It seems even though the main characteristics of the Romantic period can be pinned down, it does neither necessarily mean that they can therefore be found in every piece of music composed during this era, nor that these characteristics will make any sense at first, because very often they are contradicting themselves. Thus a broad overview of the 19th century is the only possibility to understand what Musical Romanticism is and how it started, and how it more or less became the equivalent to the Sturm and Drang movement in German Romantic literature. We will write a custom essay on What is Musical Romanticism? specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now There are basically three different definitions of the term Romanticism in general, as discussed in D.G. Charltons book on the French Romantics. The first possible meaning of the term describes a spiritual state that reached from the Middle Ages right through to the 20th century and therefore includes everything of the new age. The second definition refers to Romantic or Romanticism as imaginatively and emotionally inspired art1, while the third description mentions the historical use of the term, referring to the so called Romantic movement in all the arts, namely literature, art and music. Even though this gives a fairly clear insight into the general use of the word Romantic, definitions especially like the last one can nevertheless lead to a lot of confusion. By selecting a certain span of time and calling it the Romantic movement, artists and writers that are either clearly not Romantic ones, or do not consider themselves as such, find themselves included in this era anyway. So even if the Romantic age is always identified as being the first fifty years of the 19th century, and artists who peaked during this period had therefore been born between 1770 and 1815, this does give a slightly wrong impression of the period itself as well as the artists who fortunately or unfortunately -happened to live at that time. Thus, we have to keep in mind that the term Romantic is often used far too loosely. Even before what we consider as the beginnings of the Romantic period, the actual expression Romantic was already in use, especially in 17th century England, where this term was applied to a certain character of a piece of literature, describing the absence of the real, the concrete, the predictable and the rational2. A bit later on, the word Romantic was associated with the fantastic, the supernatural as well as the free imagination. In general, the term Romanticism is applied very freely to the literary as well as the artistic movements of the late 18th and early 19th century. It more or less describes the new spirit3 that defined this period. Even though the French Revolution of 1789 is often thought to have marked the beginning of the Romantic period, this is not entirely true. However, the Bastille had not been stormed without reason. Those people revolting against certain prescribed rules had been forming their views and opinions over the preceding decades, building up a lot of anger towards politics, religion and the social hierarchic system4. They felt the need for a drastic change in all these areas, since people were craving for more freedom to express themselves instead of having to stick to traditional rules imposed by religious and political leaders. The French Romantic writers for example were mainly concerned with the individual as well as the expression of emotions and imaginations. .u938d1ddc12db36c1ea0b95240086cbe2 , .u938d1ddc12db36c1ea0b95240086cbe2 .postImageUrl , .u938d1ddc12db36c1ea0b95240086cbe2 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u938d1ddc12db36c1ea0b95240086cbe2 , .u938d1ddc12db36c1ea0b95240086cbe2:hover , .u938d1ddc12db36c1ea0b95240086cbe2:visited , .u938d1ddc12db36c1ea0b95240086cbe2:active { border:0!important; } .u938d1ddc12db36c1ea0b95240086cbe2 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u938d1ddc12db36c1ea0b95240086cbe2 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u938d1ddc12db36c1ea0b95240086cbe2:active , .u938d1ddc12db36c1ea0b95240086cbe2:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u938d1ddc12db36c1ea0b95240086cbe2 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u938d1ddc12db36c1ea0b95240086cbe2 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u938d1ddc12db36c1ea0b95240086cbe2 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u938d1ddc12db36c1ea0b95240086cbe2 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u938d1ddc12db36c1ea0b95240086cbe2:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u938d1ddc12db36c1ea0b95240086cbe2 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u938d1ddc12db36c1ea0b95240086cbe2 .u938d1ddc12db36c1ea0b95240086cbe2-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u938d1ddc12db36c1ea0b95240086cbe2:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Function of Music in Theatre EssayThus they wanted to create a literature of their own age and society5, especially since literature and particularly poetry had been strongly determined by political and religious circumstances. Turning away from these restrictions, they wanted to create literature that would not only influence people and encourage them to form their own opinions freely, without being dictated what to thing and how to act, but also reflect current affairs. This change in French literature was clearly brought about by the changes in society, and shows very well that social matters were an important aspect in French Romantic literature as well as of course in music. While the Classical era saw itself as a strong unity of people that outsiders could not disturb without any risk, especially the German Romantics, unlike their French counterparts, did not want to stick together like this. They were not interested in this kind of unity to such an extent, but instead they strongly believed in individuality the German Romantic artist was proud of his isolation6 and greatness or genius. On the other hand, the French Romantics were more concerned with general and impersonal issues than with definite and private ones. However, because of this main concern with the universal, they also withdrew themselves into the centre of their inner selves, a feature which actually mainly characterises the German Romantics. Those artists poets, painters, musicians seem to have lived in a dream world, a world of their very own, which they were able to shape the way they wanted it to be, according to what they considered aesthetically beautiful and pleasing, giving them the privilege of looking at society from a very different angle. Living in this vision of their very own, artists were able to express their deepest emotions, dreams and hopes in a completely new and individual way. Of course there was a certain danger involved in such a lifestyle, and in many cases this emotional isolation not only led to extreme melancholy and a feeling of constantly being misunderstood, but also to insanity as well as suicides. But then again, healthy mental states and good general health were normally looked down upon as being banal7 and probably too normal.