International Social Science Review

Previous attention research has shown music to have negative effects on attention and concentration, especially when it is liked, has lyrics, or is of a higher intensity. Further attention research has shown that performance generally decreases when two tasks are carried out concurrently: the reaction time to a second stimulus is significantly longer when it is presented (very) quickly after the first stimulus. Most research performed on attention and task switching has been focused on the mental mechanisms underlying the process of multitasking, and has yet to have much of a focus on the occupational consequences. In the current study, 60 participants were asked to complete a two-part experiment. The first part being a simple computer simulated task-switching experiment and the second part involving the completion of a list of tasks, constructed to allow for parallel task completion. Results from part 1 indicate a relationship between reaction times of the single task/mixed block task repeat and the task switch. Possible effects of music on these reaction times are inconclusive. Results from part 2 indicate that those who completed more tasks performed more "simultaneous tasks" as well as completed the easy tasks first. Music’s effects were statistically significant, only in certain task situations. Gender effects are noted for task completion rates as well. Music influence may have been mitigated by the fact that many of the tasks did not require a vast amount of attention and cognition.

Effects of Music Genre on Simple and Simulated Task Switching

Based on Victor Corpus' Silent War (1989), this paper re-introduces strategic analysis and political geography to the study of nationalist-leftist insurgencies in the Philippines. National geography and changes in the geopolitics of Southeast Asia have, and will continue, to create the strategic context for guerilla wars and the rival end games of Manila and insurgents. In 1898-99 and 1941-45, for example, the geopolitical center of gravity passed over Central Luzon and led to the regime changes desired by insurgents. Since 1945, the geopolitical center of gravity has bypassed Luzon, an external development which has provided a tremendous advantage to counterinsurgents and made it easier for Manila to neutralize the Hukbalahap in the 1950s, and to contain the New People's Army to remote provinces since the 1960s. In the present day, the regional focus of geopolitics has shifted to China and the South China Sea. But an analysis of the current situation based on political geography indicates that China has little reason to invade Central Luzon, even in the event of war over disputed islands. Moreover, communist insurgent zones are not close enough to Manila to force the guerillas into the new strategic considerations of China, the United States, or the Philippines. These factors make it unlikely that China will intervene on behalf of the NPA in the near future.

China, Rebalance, and the “Silent War”

The failure of United Nations safe areas during the fall of Yugoslavia, at Srebrenica in particular, highlighted major limitations inherent to the safe area policies. Flaws in the mission mandate, the understandings of impartiality and neutrality, and in force deployments came together to critically limit the effectiveness of the safe area deployment. This paper aims to analyze the failures of Srebrenica to highlight changes which need to be made to create an effective safe zone policy in the future, one which is capable of offering robust and effective protection. At the same time this paper addresses issues of legitimacy, including the emerging norm of ‘Responsibility to Protect’ and the role of the General Assembly in legitimating action, to highlight the legitimacy of a robust safe zone policy informed from the failures of Srebrenica.

Protection from Tragedy: Developing Effective and Legitimate Safe Zones after the Tragedy of Srebrenica

Multiculturalism is rapidly growing in American communities. A law enforcement officer’s oath increasingly calls for the successful and effectual interaction with citizens from diverse backgrounds. Diversity is currently taught substantively in the academies. However, the academies’ diversity training can be enhanced with the application of critical thinking skills. Mandatory annual certification training in critical thinking can assist law enforcement officers to find multiple solutions to the problems they encounter on a routine basis and can lend to de-escalation as well as community and officer safety.

Policy Point – Counterpoint:  Mandating Law Enforcement to Receive Annual Certification in Cultural Diversity through Critical Thinking

Book Review: Troubled Geographies: A Spatial History of Religion and Society in Ireland by Ian N. Gregory, Niall A. Cunningham, C.D. Lloyd, Ian G. Shuttleworth, and Paul S. Ell

Book Review: Protesting Culture and Economics in Western Europe: New Cleavages in Left and Right Politics by Swen Hutter

A Social Strategy: How We Profit from Social Media by Mikolaj Jan Piskorski

In this extended commentary an analysis is offered of President Obama's past foreign policy decisions to help forecast how he would react if Russia were to invade Estonia.The predictions presented are based on how President Obama has responded to major foreign policy events during his presidency. This includes his actions in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the NATO intervention in Libya, his involvement with chemical weapons in Syria, his actions in Ukraine, the mediation of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, handling ISIS and Al-Qaeda Affiliates, and his actions handling combatants outside of combat zones, such as in Yemen, Somalia, and Pakistan. The president’s lack of action against Boko Haram, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and most revolutions in the Arab Spring is also factored in. News sources, are from as wide of a spectrum of news sources as possible in order to limit bias.

Extended Commentary: Action or Inaction? An Analysis of President Obama’s Foreign Policy

This article uses gender role theory to explain the way male and female candidates appeared in their campaign websites photographs during the 2008, 2010, 2012, and 2014 Congressional elections. The research question is “do male and female Congressional candidates appear dressed in suits in their campaign website photographs at different rates?” The analysis uses binary multivariate logistic regression to test the dependent variable (appear dressed in a suit), with gender being the main independent variable and region and party as dummy variables. The results report that both men and women appear dressed in business attire but the percentage of men that appear dressed in a suit is higher than that of women. Also, the percentage of Republican women that appear dressed in suits is higher than that of Democrat women.

Congressional Candidates' Photo Presentation on their Campaign Websites

Book Review: The European Union and Global Engagement: Institutions, Policies and Challenges by Normann Witzleb, Alfonso Martinez Arranz, and Pascaline Winand

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