bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Career Indecision Amongst Prospective University Students
Authors: Gordon Liezel , Meyer Johann C.
Published: March 2013

With the purpose of addressing career indecision, the present study examined the nature thereof amongst prospective university students. The prevalence of specific aspects of career maturity (namely, self-information, decision-making, career information, integration of self-information and career information, and career planning) underlying career indecision were investigated, as well as the correlations between these aspects. In addition, the correlations between the aspects of career maturity and certain biographical variables such as gender, home language, declared career choice, differentiation of interests, and self-reported level of career indecision were examined. Recommendations were made regarding the content and process of career counselling for prospective university students.
Women's Perceptions of Partner Support in the Context of Pregnancy Loss(es)
Authors: Corbet-Owen Carina
Published: March 2013

Misunderstandings concerning expected and perceived support and expectations about how to grieve at the time of pregnancy loss have the potential to create stress within a partner dyad. Audio-recorded, semi-structured interviews, with eight women from varying contexts, were transcribed and analysed using Charmaz' grounded theory in this qualitative study. Voices of these participants express their perceptions regarding the support they feel they did, or did not receive at this time. Some women were unable to turn to their partners due to existing relationship problems. Many women were able to turn to their partners, but some found that support was not sustained. Women appear to want emotional support from their male partners. When this is not forthcoming, they may perceive their partners' support as negative or lacking. Potential areas of conflict are highlighted and suggestions are made regarding helpful informational support from health professionals.
Racial Attitudes among South African Young Adults: A Four-year Follow-up Study
Authors: Smith Timothy B. , Stones Christopher R. , Naidoo Anthony
Published: March 2013

The many social changes that have occurred in South Africa since the first democratic elections in 1994 warrant that careful scrutiny be given to the racial attitudes of South Africa's young adults. Their degree of acceptance of the doctrine of deracialisation and reconciliation represents a hope or a warning about the possibility of a stable future. A follow-up study was thus carried out in order to update data collected in 1995, with the hypothesis that, over time, greater acceptance of other racial groups would be reported. In this follow-up study, the authors examined differences among a new sample of 122 Xhosa-speaking Black, 73 so-called coloured, and 234 English-speaking White young adults. Data were collected using a questionnaire that assessed aspects of these groups' perceptions of themselves (identities) and their attitudes toward other racial groups (their prejudice). Statistical significance was found between groups and over time across measures.
The Structure of Values among Northern Sotho Speaking People in South Africa
Authors: Renner Walter , Peltzer Karl , Phaswana Motlatso G.
Published: March 2013

The aim of this study was to compile a culture specific taxonomy of human values in Northern Sotho. Two raters extracted a comprehensive list of value descriptive nouns from two Northern Sotho dictionaries. The list comprised a total of 210 terms. Four hundred individuals, 256 men and 144 women, from the Limpopo Province of the Republic of South Africa, participated. Their mean age was 24.6 years (SD = 7.9). The participants rated these concepts on an 11-point-scale with regard to their subjective importance as guiding motives in life. The principal components factor analysis with varimax rotation yielded five factors which explained 42.3% of total variance: (I) Religiosity and Support, (II) Solidarity (ukuzwdana, ubunye or ubudlelwane), (III) Conformity and Benevolence, (IV) Leadership and Achievement, and (V) Human Enhancement. With respect to cross-cultural comparisons the outcome of the study shows that in Northern Sotho, religious themes and social commitment play a more important role than in German, and that religious issues correlate with social concerns. The other dimensions share some aspects with the German factors but mainly reflect the religious and collective values of traditional African culture.
Predicting the Intention of South African Female Students to Engage in Premarital Sexual Relations: An Application of the Theory of Reasoned Action
Authors: Chitamun Shalini , Finchilescu Gillian
Published: March 2013

The Theory of Reasoned Action (Ajzen & Fishbein, 1980) was used to investigate the factors influencing South African female students' decision on whether or not to engage in premarital sexual intercourse. The group of participants consisted of 100 female heterosexual university students who were selected from a larger sample on the basis of sexual inexperience. As anticipated by the theory, both attitudes and subjective norms were found to predict intentions, with attitudes emerging as the stronger predictor. Additional analyses revealed that the hypothesized relationship between attitudes and the cognitive bases, beliefs about the outcome of premarital sexual relations, and the evaluation of these outcomes was supported. However, contrary to the theory, subjective norms were not correlated with motivation to comply with the perceived views of salient referents. The results are discussed in the context of a society in which AIDS is epidemic.
A Comparison of Native and Non-Native English-Speaking Groups' Understanding of the Vocabulary Contained within the 16PF (SA92)
Authors: Wallis Taryn , Birt Martin
Published: March 2013

Part of the qualitative phase of Abrahams and Mauer's (1999b) study was replicated at the University of Cape Town with both native English-speaking and non-native English-speaking students. Participants were required to provide synonyms for 135 words contained within the 16PF (SA92) in order to ascertain the extent of problems with the language in the test. When following Abrahams and Mauer's original methodology strictly, results seemed to indicate that both groups struggled with the language contained in the 16PF (SA92). However, less rigid marking, taking into account everyday usage of the words, showed that both groups did understand the words, although they were prevented from displaying this by the original restrictive method. It is suggested that more research be conducted with instruments such as the 16PF in order to obtain a fuller understanding of the extent to which language can affect scores obtained.
The Hanover Park Mother-Infant Project: Methodological Challenges and Compromises in a South African Context
Authors: Tomlinson Mark , Swartz Leslie , Landman Mireille
Published: March 2013

A series of randomised trials conducted in the USA examined the impact of intervention programmes for mothers and their infants. As a result, a number of guidelines were identified for implementing methodologically sound and efficacious interventions. While these guidelines are scientifically sound, they are difficult to implement in third-world contexts like South Africa where funding and professional resources are scarce. The project examined in this article is an example of a programme that falls short of these stringent guidelines and yet still has value in a context such as South Africa. While the project's design had limitations, it nevertheless raised social awareness about the target issue, so bringing it to the attention of policy makers and funding agencies. This enabled the establishment of a better-funded project that incorporated more methodologically sound design features.
Gender Differences in Aspects of Psychological Well-Being
Authors: Roothman Brett , Kirsten Doret K. , Wissing Marié P.
Published: March 2013

The aim of this study was to determine whether men and women differ with regard to aspects of psychological well-being. For the purposes of this study, a meta-analysis was performed on data from a trans-university project, involving a multicultural availability sample of 378. The participants each completed 13 scales that measure psychological well-being in affective, physical, cognitive, spiritual, self and social aspects. Statistically significant gender differences with small to medium practical effects were found. Men scored higher on physical self-concept, automatic thoughts (positive), constructive thinking, cognitive flexibility, total self-concept, and fortitude. Women scored higher on the expression of affect, somatic symptoms, and religious well-being. No significant gender differences were found on sense of coherence, satisfaction with life, affect balance, emotional intelligence, self-efficacy, and the social components of self-concept and of fortitude. The results are in line with gender stereotypes and traditional socialisation practices and possibly reflect the impact of longstanding social inequity between men and women.
“Community Psychology is All Theory and No Practice”: Training Educational Psychologists in Community Practice within the South African Context
Authors: Pillay Jace
Published: March 2013

Community psychology is often viewed as the answer to many of the social and psychological problems that exist in South Africa. However, there appears to be a gap in terms of how it should be integrated in the training of psychologists. A qualitative research design was used in this study to explore how this gap can be bridged by describing the training of educational psychologists in community psychology at a university in Gauteng. Data were collected through in-depth interviews and focus group discussions with qualified and trainee educational psychologists. The interviews were transcribed and analysed for recurrent themes. The findings were demarcated into three distinctive thematic categories. In the first category, the principle of exclusion emerged as a consistent theme. In the second category, there were two major findings, namely that there was very little exposure to community psychology during the training and that most of the participants were actually self-taught in community psychology. The final category explores several recommendations made by the participants to improve the training of educational psychologists.
‘They all Speak Your Language Anyway …’: Language and Racism in a South African School
Authors: Painter Desmond , Baldwin Robyn
Published: March 2013

This article reports a rhetorical discourse analysis of learner perspectives on language diversity in a contemporary South African high school. Based on four group discussions with Grade 12 isiXhosa, Afrikaans and English-speaking learners, the analysis traces two interrelated clusters of argument. In the first, a liberal discourse of individual freedom and human rights is mobilised to argue against a language order where languages are made compulsory, or forced upon people. We show that this argument was employed inconsistently: it only extended to languages other than English. To understand how this dilemmatic use of liberal ideas was justified, we trace a second line of argument. This is the construction of English as a universal language and, consequently as neutral, necessary and unifying; a language of ‘rational choice’ for all South Africans. Based on these arguments, language diversity – or the formal recognition and empowerment of languages other than English – was problematised as both violating individual rights of choice and a public order characterised by the mutual and universal understanding afforded by the universality of English. Supporting English-only practices in the school was thus presented as itself a liberal gesture, allowing not only the continued racialisation of isiXhosa, but also a rhetoric of racial blame: isiXhosa speakers, when they use their language in public, were blamed for instigating racial tension and misunderstanding in the school.
The Factor Structure of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale in a South African Peri-Urban Settlement
Authors: de Bruin Gideon P. , Swartz Leslie , Tomlinson Mark , Cooper Peter J. , Molteno Christopher
Published: March 2013

The factor structure of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression scale (EPDS) and similar instruments have received little attention in the literature. The researchers set out to investigate the construct validity and reliability of the EPDS amongst impoverished South African women. The EPDS was translated into isiXhosa (using Brislin's back translation method) and administered by trained interviewers to 147 women in Khayelitsha, South Africa. Responses were subjected to maximum likelihood confirmatory factor analysis. A single factor structure was found, consistent with the theory on which the EPDS was based. Internal consistency was satisfactory (a = 0.89).
Learning Environment, Motivation and Interest: Perspectives on Self-Determination Theory
Authors: Müller Florian H. , Louw Johann
Published: March 2013

The relationship between university students' motivation and their learning environment is the focus of this article. Following self-determination theory (SDT) and the theory of interest, it is proposed that perceived support of basic psychological needs (support of autonomy, competence and social relatedness), as well as aspects of a constructivist learning environment (teachers' interest, relevance of contents, and quality of instruction, as well as transparency and fit of requirements) are associated with self-determined motivation and with study interest. The responses of a sample of undergraduate students in psychology ( N = 123) to measures of these variables were analysed. The students were asked about their motivation to learn, their interest in psychology and about the perceived learning environment in psychology. The results showed that most of the students were motivated on an intrinsic and identified level, and displayed high study interest. Study interest, intrinsic motivation and self-determined forms of extrinsic motivation were particularly associated with perceived support of autonomy and competence, as well as with the relevance of the contents, the quality of instruction and with the perceived transparency of requirements.
Change Detection in a Change Blindness Flicker Paradigm
Authors: Cassimjee Nafisa , Maree David J. F.
Published: March 2013

This study explored trends in change detection within the change blindness (CB) flicker paradigm. A sample comprising 92 university students was tested for speed in change detection. A number of alternating photographic scenes with and without changes in objects were shown in a computer laboratory. There were significant differences between males and females for central and marginal interest changes on different change types, which included changes in colour, presence and location of objects. The results were used to illustrate the methodological restrictions of previous studies and to expand on theoretical explanations for this phenomenon. This study also challenged the various notions pertaining to the nature of the representations one forms when perceiving visually. The application of connections principles revealed the ambiguity of representational-based explanations for change detection.
The Development of a Stress Symptom Checklist
Authors: Schlebusch Lourens
Published: March 2013

The development of a stress measure, and indications of its reliability and validity are reported in the present article. The human stress response and its deleterious consequences are discussed, including the fact that stress is a major problem in society at all levels of human interaction. South African stress levels are particularly high, and many lifestyle diseases, health-risk behaviours, suicidal behaviours, violence, trauma-producing behaviours, performance levels and difficulties in coping with change are stress-related, as are numerous medical, psychological and/or psychiatric disorders. Given this, a Stress Symptom Checklist (SSCL) was constructed as a user-friendly stress measurement. It was developed as part of a major stress research initiative. The aim was to produce an authoritative, reliable and valid stress checklist that can stand up to critical inspection, yet be an easy-to-use measure. It focuses on the respondent's stress level rather than on the stimuli leading to that stress. It is not intended to be a diagnostic tool that measures specific stress-related psychopathological conditions or disorders, but rather the intensity (or severity) of stress as reflected by an individual's physical, psychological and behavioural reactions. To date, the data show that the SSCL is a useful measure of non-pathological stress in the general population. Further refinements and validation studies are in progress.
Social Factors and Postpartum Depression in Khayelitsha, Cape Town
Authors: Tomlinson Mark , Swartz Leslie , Cooper Peter J. , Molteno Christopher
Published: March 2013

Social factors, including poverty, are known risk factors for depression. In a previous study conducted in Khayelitsha, a very poor peri-urban settlement near Cape Town, a 34.7% prevalence rate for postpartum depression was found, roughly three times the expected rate internationally. This article is a report on a logistical regression analysis, showing that the odds ratios for the probability of maternal depression at two months were: for the infant being unwanted, OR=4.33, 95% Cl: (1.75; 11.60); for the father's negative attitude towards the infant, OR=6.03, 95% Cl: (2.01; 20.09); and for the mother cohabiting with (as opposed to not living with) a male partner, OR=2.77, 95% Cl: (1.08; 7.69). The odds ratios for the probability of the mother being insensitive towards the infant at two months were: for the mother aged 20 to 24 years, OR=0.40, 95% Cl: (0.10; 1.42); for the mother aged 25 to 29 years, OR=0.24, 95% Cl: (0.06; 0.77); for the mother aged 30 years or older, OR=0.27, 95% CI: (0.07; 0.90); and for the mother receiving no help from her partner, OR=2.12, 95% CI: (1.05; 4.33). Since data were collected cross-sectionally, it is not possible to draw conclusions about causal pathways. The findings support further investigation into the precursors of, and risk factors for, postpartum depression amongst poor South African women.
Psychiatric Discourses of Woman Abuse
Authors: Wilson Tanya , Strebel Anna
Published: March 2013

This article presents a qualitative investigation of how South African psychiatric services, in the course of their management and treatment of female psychiatric patients, deal with the issue of woman abuse. Discourse analysis was used to analyse the case documents of ten female psychiatric patients who were admitted to a psychiatric hospital in a poorer section of the Western Cape Province, South Africa, all of whom had a history of sexual and/or physical abuse. In this article, the analysis focuses on three broad areas: abuse and the ‘syntaxes' of psychopathology; discourses of blame and responsibility; and the failure of (psychiatric) language. The approach of the investigation was one that critically examined psychiatry, at the same time as specifically investigating psychiatry's response to the issue of woman abuse. Given the South African context of widespread violence against women, together with the transformation of mental health structures, this study formed part of a larger research endeavour geared towards developing appropriate services for the treatment and care of women who have been physically or sexually abused.
Woman Abuse: The Construction of Gender in Women and Men's Narratives of Violence
Authors: Boonzaier Fioretta , de la Rey Cheryl
Published: March 2013

Violence against women is a widespread social problem affecting millions of women. For more than three decades, researchers have explored the experiences of women in abusive relationships. Victims' accounts have been the main focus, often deflecting attention away from men who are most frequently the perpetrators. Consequently, woman abuse has come to be regarded as a ‘woman's problem’ – blaming women and rendering them responsible for change. The literature on perpetrators and victims of violence seems to be developing independently of each other and commonly provide one-sided accounts (mostly from victims and less often from perpetrators). This article reports on an ongoing research project that aims to explore how both partners in a violent heterosexual relationship understand and attach meanings to their experiences. In-depth interviews were conducted with five couples. An analysis of the narratives revealed that women and men's understandings of violence are both similar and different. They construct particular forms of gendered identities, which are sometimes contradictory and ambiguous. In their talk about violence and relationships, they ‘perform’ gender and enact hegemonic constructions of femininity and masculinity. The analysis also shows that women's and men's talk about violence is linked to broader socio-cultural mechanisms that construct woman abuse as a serious social problem in South Africa.
Reflections on the Sexual Agency of Young Women in a Low-Income Rural South African Community
Authors: Lesch Elmien , Kruger Lou-Marie
Published: March 2013

Reproductive health issues are pertinent in the mental health development of young women in South Africa, especially young women in low-income communities. The prevalence of problems such as HIV/AIDS and unplanned or unwanted pregnancies among South African female adolescents specifically warrants urgent attention. It is argued that inadequate theoretical frameworks and inadequate data on sexuality in different South African communities hamper effective preventative interventions in the female reproductive health arena. This article reports and discusses some of the findings of a larger study exploring female adolescent sexuality in one specific low-income South African community. Twenty-five adolescent women from low-income, ‘coloured’1 households in the Western Cape were interviewed about their first experiences of sexual intercourse. It was found that the participants demonstrated limited sexual agency in their first experiences of sexual intercourse. The authors conclude that a new discourse of female sexual agency may be needed.
Trends and Redress in Community Psychology during 10 Years of Democracy (1994–2003): A Journal-Based Perspective
Authors: Seedat Mohamed , MacKenzie Sarah , Stevens Garth
Published: March 2013

Drawing on a content analysis of selected articles from the South African Journal of Psychology (SAJP) and Psychology in Society (PINS), the authors reflect on the extent to which South African community psychology's early vision resonates in publications in post-1994 South African psychology. Concerned about the Euro-American, patriarchal, classist, and individualised orientation in clinical, counselling, and social psychology, community psychology's vision arose as a response to this crisis of ‘relevance’ in the 1980s in South Africa. It placed the accent on accessible psychosocial services, re-defining the roles of psychologists, democratising psychological practice, prevention, competencies, empowerment of under-represented groups, collaboration, and inclusive modes of knowledge production. Our content analysis suggests that South African community psychology tends to operate within a porous disciplinary boundary, sharing academic concerns with a larger group of critical psychologists. Authorship characteristics show that for the 1994 to 2003 period male and females were more or less equally represented as authors, the majority of whom were affiliated to academic institutions. In contrast, co-authorship as an expression of collaboration did not feature strongly and the community voice was unrepresented at authorship level. Most of the articles tended to assume an empirical or theoretical slant and examined themes consistent with community psychology's early vision and focus. Similarly, research in community psychology seemed to have attended to selected priority psychosocial issues and drawn on historically neglected groups, including black adolescents and adults, to serve as participants. By way of conclusion, we surmise that community psychology, albeit an under-represented branch of psychology, may be one of many areas of engagement for those aligned to the quest for emancipatory psychological practice and theory in South Africa.
South African Psychology and ‘Relevance’: Continuing Challenges
Authors: Macleod Catriona
Published: March 2013

During the apartheid era, psychology was accused of being irrelevant, and of advertently or inadvertently bolstering apartheid. Since 1994, much has changed in psychology. However, much has remained the same. In a situational analysis of research in psychology over the last five years it emerged that quantitative methods based on ‘hard’ science theory, as well as the traditional topics of assessment, psychotherapy, counselling, psychopathology and stress continue to dominate psychological research. A minority of studies utilise theoretical frameworks and tackle topics that illuminate the interweaving of the individual with the sociopolitical context. Knowledge is being generated chiefly about urban, middle-class adults living in the three wealthiest provinces, with university students being the most popular source of participants. Historically white universities continue to dominate the publishing scene, and collaboration takes place chiefly with high-income countries. A comparison of these results with the key issues raised in the United Nation Development Programme's South Africa human development report 2003 shows that psychology has a long way to go before it can establish its ‘relevance’ credentials.
Creating New Capacity through Postgraduate Selection
Authors: Mayekiso Tokozile , Strydom Francois , Jithoo Vinitha , Katz Lesley-Anne
Published: March 2013

The selection of students into professional training programmes in psychology has implications not only for the quality of psychological services provided, but also for the psychological wellbeing of the South African population as a whole. This is reflective of broader social challenges related to questions of equity, redress and social justice. This article provides a critical evaluation of the extent to which institutions of higher learning in South Africa have, over the past 10 years, developed processes and adopted structures in order to align their selection criteria and procedures with developments taking place in the broader South African context. In order to contextualise this discussion against a background of selection trends over the past decade, a small survey of selection practices and intake figures in eight clinical training programmes was conducted. Quantitative data, in the form of intake figures broken down into ‘race’ and gender categories, were analysed for trends, and a thematic content analysis was conducted on a set of qualitative questions. The results indicated certain important trends and practices with regard to selection into clinical training programmes.
The Role of Temperament in the Development of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Amongst Journalists
Authors: Marais A. , Stuart A. D.
Published: March 2013

The literature indicates that journalists, who have been exposed to traumatic situations, risk developing Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Certain temperament traits, such as neuroticism and compulsiveness, have been found to increase vulnerability to the development of PTSD amongst police officers. Few research studies have investigated temperament and a sense of coherence as factors mediating occupational stress in journalists exposed to trauma. The aim of this study was to address this dearth by investigating whether differences in the experience of trauma, temperament traits and a sense of coherence amongst journalists will influence the degree of PTSD experienced. The Impact of Event Scale-Revised was used to divide journalists into three groups, namely, those with minor reactions ( n=10), moderate reactions ( n=24) and severe reactions of clinical importance ( n=16). Analyses of variance followed by Scheffé post hoc multiple comparisons technique indicated statistically significant differences between the three groups regarding experience of trauma as measured by the Trauma Questionnaire, temperament traits as measured by the Zuckerman-Kuhlman Personality Questionnaire and sense of coherence as measured by the Sense of Coherence Questionnaire. The results show that various factors could have an impact on how journalists deal with the traumatic stories they cover, as well as their personal outcomes after covering these stories. Journalists who develop severe PTSD differ in terms of their perceptions of the trauma, temperament profiles and sense of coherence, which impacts on their way of coping with the traumatic situations they face daily.
The Importance and Motivational Content of Money Attitudes: South Africans with Living Standards Similar to Those in Industrialised Western Countries
Authors: Burgess Steven Michael
Published: March 2013

Long neglected in psychological research, money attitudes influence consumer decisionmaking and information processing, and may be active whenever consumers contemplate money situations or exchange relations. This study focused on the money attitudes of 221 urban South Africans whose standards of living are similar to those in industrialised Western countries. A recently developed pan-cultural theory on human values is used to gain insights into the fundamental motivations of money attitudes. The results suggest that money attitudes and value priorities have predictable and theoretically meaningful relations and provide evidence supporting the nomological validity of the revised Money Attitude Scale (MAS). Confirmatory analyses support the five-factor structure of the MAS scale and the hypothesised structure of the Portrait Values Questionnaire. Five new money attitudes are proposed for future research to broaden the scope of the MAS and refine its measurement.
Talking to ‘real’ South Africans: An Investigation of the Dilemmatic Nature of Nationalism
Authors: Gray Debra , Delany Aislinn , Durrheim Kevin
Published: March 2013

This study is a discursive analysis of how a group of South Africans, who are seriously contemplating emigration, talk about South Africa and their place in it. The primary aim was to investigate the discursive construction of national categories, in order to highlight the way in which context informs both the content and nature of nationalist accounting. The talk of emigrating South Africans showed the existence of a fundamental dilemma of nationalism, as evidenced by the existence of coexisting, contradictory themes of nationalism and anti-nationalism across the interviews. Participants attempted to resolve this dilemma by identifying and disidentifying with a ‘South African’ national category at various points. In particular, three rhetorical strategies are discussed that allowed participants to distance themselves from the national category, that is, collective versus personal, splintering the nation and refuting the collective. These findings are compared to those of Billig's (1995) work on banal nationalism and Condor's (2000) study of English national identity in order to draw parallels, or point to differences, in the way that people orient to national categories in different settings. These findings highlight that generalist studies of discourse may not be relevant across all national contexts. Instead, it is argued that an understanding of South African national accounting will very much depend on an understanding of the contexts in which these accounts are realised.
Assessing Attitude towards Christianity among Adolescents in South Africa: The Francis Scale
Authors: Francis Leslie J. , Kerr Shirley , Lewis Christopher Alan
Published: March 2013

To facilitate cross-cultural research in the psychology of religion, a sample of 453 young people from Grades 8, 9,10,11 and 12 attending a secondary school within the provincial education department in South Africa completed the Francis scale of Attitude Towards Christianity. The data provide preliminary evidence that supports the reliability and validity of this instrument, and commend it for further examination across a wider and more representative sample of learners within other ethnic and language groups in South Africa.
The Internal Consistency, Predictive Validity and Norms of the Paper and Pencil Games for a Group of Isixhosa-Speaking Learners
Authors: Boon Mia , Steel Henry R.
Published: March 2013

In this study the internal consistency and predictive validity of the Paper and Pencil Games (PPG) Level 3 for a group of isiXhosa-speaking learners in Grade 4 were investigated. The internal consistency for the verbal, non-verbal and total scales was established by means of Cronbach's coefficient alpha. The internal consistency of the total and non-verbal scales was high and the internal consistency of the verbal scale notably lower. The predictive validity of the PPG was investigated by calculating Pearson correlation coefficients between the verbal, non-verbal and total scores of the PPG and achievement in the different school subjects and the overall achievement. The total scale of the PPG was the best predictor of achievement in English, Mathematics, Science, Geography, History and Health Science as well as overall achievement. The verbal scale was the best predictor of achievement in Afrikaans and the non-verbal scale of achievement in isiXhosa. Local norms in the form of stanines were also calculated for the group of isiXhosa-speaking learners.
The Raven's Coloured Progressive Matrices: Pilot Norms for IsiXhosa-Speaking Primary School Learners in Peri-Urban Eastern Cape
Authors: Knoetze Jan , Bass Natalie , Steele Gary
Published: March 2013

The Raven's Coloured Progressive Matrices (CPM) test is internationally recognised as a culture-fair test of non-verbal intelligence, designed for use with children between the ages of 51/4 and 111/2 years. The Raven's CPM is used extensively across a wide variety of settings in South Africa. However, more appropriate local normative data has yet to be established. This pilot study seeks to establish normative data for this instrument for a population of isiXhosa-speaking primary school children in a peri-urban area of the Eastern Cape, South Africa. The booklet version of the test was used in group format and according to an alternative method of test administration (using isiXhosa instructions) developed by Vass (1992). The final normative sample consisted of 197 male and 182 female isiXhosa-speaking children in Grades 2 to 7 (n = 379). This study presents a set of local norms for the age group, 6 to 11 years. In addition, it was found that older children (>11 years of age) who have not yet reached certain educational levels, have also not reached the plateau, as anticipated, in their performance on this test. In addition, therefore, is a set of 'older norms' also presented and the issues related to grade versus age norms are debated. The tendency for this normative sample to perform lower than their Western counterparts on this test was also noted and debated. The tendency for males to outperform females was also recorded and it was found that this is in line with previous research on similar populations. The study concludes that there is an urgent need for more appropriate South African normative data for this test; and that, when assessing African children from disadvantaged backgrounds, further research into the effects of cultural and socio-economic factors and gender on non-verbal analogical reasoning tasks (and performance on this test in particular) is required.
Predictors of Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms among South African Police Personnel
Authors: Jones Russell , Kagee Ashraf
Published: March 2013

The present study investigated the relationship between coping style, perceived social support, length of service experience, age, and gender on symptoms of post-traumatic stress among members of the South African Police Service (SAPS) in the Western Cape. In Phase 1 of the study, 19 police officers participated in a series of qualitative interviews aimed at eliciting a list of duty-related stressors that formed the basis of a stressor questionnaire. In Phase 2 of the study 97 officers from twelve police stations in the western metropolis of Cape Town completed a battery of questionnaires that assessed stressful experiences, symptoms of post-traumatic stress, coping, social and family support, and various demographic variables. The first multiple regression analysis showed that problem-focused coping, emotion-focused coping and perceived social support explained 42.6% of the variance in the severity of posttraumatic stress scores, although problem-focused coping was positively associated with symptom severity (β = 0.68). In the second multiple regression analysis, coping was entered as a composite variable and, together with perceived social support, accounted for 29.3% of the variance in post-traumatic stress scores. These results imply a need to enhance specific coping skills among police officers in addressing duty-related traumatic stressors and to fortify social support structures both within the police service and in the private lives of officers.
Narratives of Depression
Authors: Robertson Alan , Venter Chris , Botha Karel
Published: March 2013

The purpose of this study was to explore the life narratives of a group of self-identified depressed individuals. A qualitative research approach, specifically a multiple case study method was used, consisting of interviews in narrative format with people who were suffering from depression. The common themes seemed to be: the participants attached negative meanings to their life experiences; they used negative language, particularly in the form of generalisations, to articulate their stories; and they found socio-political narratives to be subjugating. The study suggested that a narrative approach to therapy could be fruitful in the treatment of depression, especially through helping people to find positive meanings for life experiences; re-authoring life narratives using fewer negative generalisations; confronting and transcending subjugating political stories; assisting the individual to discover and build upon unique outcomes; and encouraging the extemalisation of depression.
The Power of Non-Verbal Communication: Predicting Job Performance by Means of Thin Slices of Non-Verbal Behaviour
Authors: Visser Deléne , Matthews John D. L.
Published: March 2013

The purpose of the study was to investigate whether ratings of brief exposures to ‘non-verbal’ and ‘non-verbal plus verbal’ behaviour could successfully predict on-the-job performance in a call centre. A panel often judges who were exposed to 30-second silent video recordings of 29 call centre operators carrying out their jobs were asked to rate the non-verbal behaviour of the operators on several dimensions. Two weeks later they were asked to repeat their judgments with the audio channel included. The judgments were correlated with management ratings and customer ratings of the operators' performance. The correlations varied between 0.31 and 0.46, representing medium to large effect sizes. The inclusion of the verbal channel did not significantly improve the accuracy of the thin-slice judgments of non-verbal behaviour. The implications of using ratings of non-verbal behaviour as a selection method were discussed.
Patterns of Racial Segregation in University Residence Dining-Halls
Authors: Schrieff Leigh , Tredoux Colin , Dixon John , Finchilescu Gillian
Published: March 2013

Social psychologists have long been interested in the effects of ‘contact’ between racial groups. The conditions under which this contact can manifest have usually been experimentally manipulated in order to determine optimal combinations. A shortcoming of this approach is that it constructs contact situations that are unnatural and contrived. Some researchers have proposed an approach that examines contact as a natural phenomenon (Dixon & Durrheim, 2003). The present research adopts this approach, and reports on a naturalistic, observational study of ‘contact’ between students in university residence dining-halls. Seating patterns of students were observed for one month and analysed along dimensions of spatial variation. The results show high levels of informal segregation and that the segregation manifests as a specific spatial configuration. Such results, which occur despite the presence of apparently favourable conditions, illustrate how this approach may lead to different conclusions to those achieved through experimental manipulation.
Socio-Spatial Practice and Racial Representations in a Changing South Africa
Authors: Durrheim Kevin
Published: March 2013

This article argues (a) that the content of racial representations in South Africa has changed historically, and (b) that these representations are grounded in concrete patterns of spatio-temporal interactions between blacks and whites that have characterised different historical epochs. These arguments are developed by means of a consideration of racial interactions and representations in four historical periods: the early Cape colony, the frontier, apartheid and the contemporary post-apartheid period. The bulk of the discussion concerns the kinds of representations that are being developed and perpetuated in the present desegregated context, where whites experience displacement at the hands of blacks, and blacks experience whites running away from them.
Meta-Stereotypes May Hinder Inter-Racial Contact
Authors: Finchilescu Gillian
Published: March 2013

Avoidance of intergroup contact occurs not only as a result of prejudice, but also for a myriad of other reasons. Intergroup anxiety has been hypothesised as one central explanatory factor for informal segregation. In this article, Stephan and Stephan's (1985) model of the antecedents and consequences of intergroup anxiety is discussed in the context of the South African situation. The concept of meta-stereotypes is also introduced and proposed as an important contributor to intergroup anxiety. Meta-stereotypes, in interaction with other intergroup attitudes, may act as a barrier or facilitator to intergroup mixing.
Prejudice and Social Contact in South Africa: A Study of Integrated Schools Ten Years after Apartheid
Authors: Holtman Zelda , Louw Johann , Tredoux Colin , Carney Tara
Published: March 2013

In this article the relationship between intergroup contact and racial prejudice in formerly segregated schools in Cape Town, South Africa, is investigated. A total of 1 119 black African, coloured, Afrikaans-speaking and English-speaking white learners were surveyed, using three measures of intergroup prejudice, a self-report intergroup contact measure and a racial identification scale. In general, quality of contact with individuals of other race groups and an increase in contact both in and outside of the school improved learners' race attitudes. Higher levels of demographic integration within schools were also positively related to race attitudes, but a high degree of identification with one's own race led in several instances to less positive attitudes towards other race groups. Intergroup contact seemed to be the single most important predictor of attitudes for all four groups in this study.
Mapping East London: Sketching Identity through Place
Authors: van Ommen Clifford , Painter Desmond
Published: March 2013

This article provides an analysis of sketch maps of a South African city drawn by local university students. The analysis is compared to previous sketch map studies in Psychology, and highlights the use and relative absence of the analytical concepts of race and class within these studies. An understanding of sketch maps as rhetorical moments is developed, that is, that these drawings represent characterisations of lived space that is ideologically embedded. Consequently, a quantitative and qualitative description and commentary is provided of the depictions and absences in these maps. From this a place identity is suggested and its implications for personal identity are discussed. In conclusion, it is argued that apartheid town planning continues to be successful in that it now accommodates a politically naïve consumerist culture.
Construction and Initial Validation of the South African Former Detainees' Distress Scale: An Exploratory Factor Analysis
Authors: Kagee Ashraf
Published: March 2013

The experiences of South African political activists who were subjected to torture and abuse in detention during the apartheid era have often been conceptualised as traumatogenic. Various criticisms have been levelled against the trauma model, including the concern that it inappropriately pathologises persons who have experienced human rights violations. Sequelae to torture and abuse have been more appropriately considered to approximate non-pathological distress. The present study was undertaken to determine the factor structure of former detainees' current distress associated with having been abused in detention. In Stage 1 of the study, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 participants. The qualitative data that emerged from these interviews were used to form the items of the South African Former Detainees' Distress Scale. In Stage 2, the scale was administered to 148 participants and the data were factor-analysed using principal components analysis with a varimax rotation. Four factors emerged from the analysis: Somatic Problems/Discontent, Emotional Distress, Lack of Acknowledgement and Despondency. These factors are discussed in the context of social developments in present-day South Africa.
Lacan and the Question of the Psychotherapist's Ethical Orientation
Authors: Olivier Bert
Published: March 2013

This article addresses the thorny issue of the psychologist or psychotherapist's values or ethical orientation. The suggestion is made that certain aspects of Jacques Lacan's psychoanalytical theory provide the resources to overcome the obstacle of arbitrariness or relativism faced by psychotherapists who unavoidably have to take an ethical stance — implicitly if not explicitly — in relation to clients' or analysands' lives and decisions. The dilemma faced by the psychotherapist is recontructed and specific aspects of the poststructuralist psychoanalytical theory of Lacan are addressed. These include the function of the subject's position in the symbolic register (in contrast to the imaginary register of the ego), the role of the unconscious as the ‘discourse of the Other’, of narrative and of repressed signifiers as ethical ‘anchoring points’. Crucially, however, the implications of the register of the ‘real’ for the ethics of the psychoanalyst as psychotherapist are added. These, offer invaluable means of overcoming the dilemma of ethical relativism faced by psychotherapists.