bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Training of South African Psychologists: Summary of Findings of the PASA Council Committee for Training
Authors: van der Westhuyzen T.W. Bodley , Plug Cornelis
Published: March 2013

During 1985 the Psychological Association of South Africa (PASA) created a Council Committee for Training to investigate various aspects of the training of professional psychologists in South Africa. A summary of the Committee's report is presented here. The investigation included a questionnaire survey of relevant university departments and intern training institutions to establish current training practices and problems. Recommendations include the establishment of a non-binding system of exchange of specialists between training institutions, revision of the internship requirements for several registration categories, the establishment of directed Master's programmes in Research Psychology, and the approval of part-time internships. Most of the recommendations are presently being implemented or investigated further.
In Search of a Human Science Psychology
Authors: Kruger Dreyer
Published: March 2013

After a brief review of the diverse contributions of the pioneers Fechner, Wundt, and Titchener the unity of science hypothesis is considered and found to be inappropriate for psychology as a human science. The same applies to cybernetics and system theory, which are briefly reviewed. The realistic approach of Harre and Secord is an improvement on the positivist philosophies of science, but their view of man does not exclude the possibility of an advanced computer being considered human and is therefore vulnerable to technology. Support is given to the existential phenomenological approach and three salient questions for human scientific discourse are addressed, namely, the question of psychology's dialogue with psychotherapy, the question of truth as revealing ( Entbergung), and that of critical psychology. In general, it is stressed that a human science psychology should be adequate to man and should start with our primary experience as interpreted in the light of anthropological and phenomenological philosophies.
Some Comments on the Draft Ethical Code for South African Clinical Psychologists
Authors: Swartz Leslie
Published: March 2013

This article responds to the challenge implicit in the words ‘provisional draft’ appended to the title of the Ethical principles of Clinical Psychologists proposed for the SAICP by Steere and Wassenaar. An ethical code should be understood not only as a device for protecting and aiding the public but also as a way in which clinical psychology defines itself as a profession. It may even be the case that this second aspect of the code is the more powerful. The code rests on three assumptions: those of universalism, voluntarism and individualism, all of which can be viewed as relating to an underlying liberal ideology. The position of the clinical psychologist who does not accept this ideology is raised. Formalizing the code into anything more than a ‘provisional draft’ may obscure the historic specificity of the code and the particular views and interests it serves.
Die taksering van die sindroom uitbranding
Authors: Odendal Francois J. , van Wyk Jan D.
Published: March 2013

Die doel van die ondersoek was om die ‘Maslach Burnout Inventory’ (MBI) in Afrikaans te vertaal, sekere items by te voeg en die betroubaarheid en geldigheid van die vraelys te bepaal. Die steekproef het bestaan uit 82 N.G. Kerk-predikante van die Wes-Transvaalse Ring. Die MBI, Sestien-Persoonlikheidsfaktorvraelys, IPAT-Angsskaal, ‘Personal Orientation Inventory’ en 'n semi-gestruktureerde vraelys is as meetinstrumente gebruik. Die voorlopige gevolgtrekking word gemaak dat die aangepaste MBI 'n betroubare en geldige meting van uitbranding is binne die konteks waarin dit geëvalueer is.
Subclinical Undernutrition and Development: A Psychological Perspective
Authors: Grieve K.W.
Published: March 2013

In investigating the effects of chronic, subclinical undernutrition on psychological development, 87 coloured preschool children were classified as undernourished or well nourished on the basis of anthropometric measures, dietary intake and maternal stature, and a comparison was made of their scores on the Revised Denver Developmental Screening Test. An assessment of each child's developmental history, the nature of the caregiver—child interaction, and the home and social environment, was made. Significant differences were found between the two nutritional groups regarding language development only, and the explanation is believed to be social rather than physiological. It was concluded from the analysis that this form of undernutrition does not have a large direct impact on development separate from the influence of environmental factors.
A Phenomenological Analysis of Victimization. The Experience of Having One's House Attacked and Damaged
Authors: Cleaver Glenda
Published: March 2013

The science of victimology aims at understanding and alleviating the pain or experience of being a victim. Phenomenology is an approach which seeks to understand the life-world of a subject. A phenomenological analysis appears to be an appropriate method of gaining an understanding of the experience of being a victim. In South Africa a number of people have recently had their houses petrol bombed or burnt down. In the case of criminal victimization such as rape or theft, the aim of the victimizer is usually personal gain. The incidents discussed in this study are related to social change rather than personal benefit. The aim of the victimizers in this study appears to have been to curtail the socio-political activities of the victim. Whatever the motive of the victimizer, the victim remains the sufferer. The purpose of this study is to present a phenomenological analysis of this type of victimization in the hope that it will increase our understanding of victimization in general. Six victims were interviewed. The interviews were unstructured. One interview was used for idiographic analysis and the remaining protocols were used for a general analysis. The results yielded a rich description of the experience of having one's house attacked. Certain experiences were are common to all subjects. The victims are pawns in a struggle for social change.
On the Method of Analysing Human Transactions Recorded on Videotape
Authors: Craig A.P.
Published: March 2013

In this aricle a method is proposed for the analysis of human transactions recorded on videotape. The process of analysis is divided into five steps or stages which together represent a segment of the continuous spiral of changing knowledge about the objects of our scientific inquiries.
The Psychosocial Implications of Mastectomy for Married Women and Their Spouses
Authors: O'Hare Patricia A. , Wissing Marié P.
Published: March 2013

Women's breasts have symbolic and psychological significance beyond their functional value, therefore mastectomy may have negative psychosocial consequences in the marital situation. This study explored the psychosocial experience of 28 white females (mean age 50 years), who had undergone mastectomy in comparison with a group of 19 women who had had benign breast tumors removed. The experience of the spouses of both groups were also explored. Data were obtained by means of the Tennessee Self-concept Scale, the Dyadic Adjustment Scale and a supplementary questionnaire. Results did not entirely justify the pessimism regarding psychosocial morbidity following mastectomy. However, mastectomees revealed a strong tendency to be more defensive than the women in the comparison group. This tendency may have shielded them from both recognition and acceptance of problem areas, and may be revealing of the way they cope psychologically with the ambiguous situation of a procedure that is disfiguring on the one hand, but life saving on the other. Peri-menopausal women appear to be especially vulnerable to deleterious psychosocial sequelae post-mastectomy. Fifty per cent of the women and 44% of the men in the mastectomy group compared with 58% of the women and 11% of the men in the biopsy group, indicated a need for counselling.
Audio-Psycho-Phonology: A Comparative Outcome Study on Anxious Primary School Pupils
Authors: Du Plessis Wynand F. , Van Jaarsveld Pieter E.
Published: March 2013

In thirteen evaluation studies of Audio-Psycho-Phonology (APP) mainly positive results were reported. However, the intrinsic contribution of APP to these favourable outcomes is questioned, in view of underlying methodological problems. This investigation was planned to eliminate such design deficits and to effect a more rigorous evaluation of the APP approach on a group of anxious primary school pupils. Forty subjects from the primary school population of Potchefstroom were identified as anxious by the teaching staff. From this target group pupils were assigned to three groups: 10 pupils who completed an APP programme; 9 pupils who were subjected to an alternative therapy programme; and a non-intervention control group of 10 pupils. Control measures included determining pre-treatment group equivalence, controlling the integrity of both treatment programmes, and controlling the effect of therapist competence. The results confirmed significant positive changes following both programmes, but no change in the control group. On a number of variables the APP group achieved significantly better results than the alternative therapy group, especially with regard to hearing and listening. A follow-up study confirmed the long-term effect of the intervention.
The Draw-a-Man Test: A 50-Year Perspective on Drawings Done by Black South African Children
Authors: Richter Linda M. , Griesel R.D. , Wortley Mark E.
Published: March 2013

Human figure drawings done by 415 urban black children were compared with the figures of people drawn by children in 1938 and 1950. Though children from five to eight years of age showed no change in performance over the 50-year time-span, there was a significant improvement in the Goodenough scores obtained by contemporary children of school age in comparison with the historical samples. Whilst it is feasible that betterment of the wider social milieu of black people in South Africa may be associated with these changes, no significant relationships between Draw-a-Man scores and socio-economic status could be demonstrated for the older children in the 1988 sample. For this group, test performance showed some relationship with scholastic achievement. The Draw-a-Man test appears to have some validity as a general cognitive measure amongst local black children between the ages of five and eight years. The test seems to be unsuitable for children over eight years of age because, from this age onwards, it underestimates abilities to a marked extent.
The Trail Making Test: A Review of Research in Children
Authors: Rosin Jonathan , Levett Ann
Published: March 2013

The Trail Making Test (TMT) is widely used in neuropsychological practice as part of a battery for detecting neuropsychological dysfunction. A comprehensive review published by Horton in 1979, focused on adult performance. A critical evaluation of research investigating the use of this test in children is presented here. No clear set of instructions for test use is available for children and, while some aspects of neuropsychological function are similar for adults and children, other factors set these groups apart. Norms are not readily available for children and the relationship of test performance to age, education level and IQ in adults suggests that these are critical variables, particularly in South Africa.
The Trail Making Test: Performance in a Non-Clinical Sample of Children Aged 10 to 15 Years
Authors: Rosin Jonathan , Levett Ann
Published: March 2013

The association of Full Scale IQ (determined on the New South African Group Test), age, education level and gender with performance on the Trail Making Test (TMT) in 260 middle-class, white English-speaking schoolchildren in the age range 10 to 15 years, was investigated. The sample equally represented girls and boys in Stds 3 to 7. Age-based comparisons with Spreen and Gaddes's Canadian sample, and Reitan's American sample, revealed this South African sample's performance to be significantly superior. IQ was shown to be significantly related to these children's performance on Parts A and B of the test, and there was a significant relationship between age/education level and test performance.
Intelligence and Creative Thinking Ability in Learning to Perform a Non-Entrenched Colour-Naming Task
Authors: Bokhorst Frank D.
Published: March 2013

Using a non-entrenched colour-naming task originally introduced by R.J. Sternberg, information-processing analysis of performanoe by student volunteer subjects was done before and after extensive computer-assisted training. Mean response latency and error rates improved substantially after training, and the degree of change was substantially correlated with the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking (TTCT). Correlations with the Cattell Culture Fair Intelligence Test (Cattell test) were equivocal due to the low power of the present research design. The evidence showed a possible relationship between non-entrenchment, task novelty and creative thinking ability. Information processing analysis of performance based on the a priori model used in the original Sternberg experiment yielded results similar to previous research findings. This justified a conclusion that the model was robust for both pre- and post-training performance.
Language and Thought: Developmental Perspectives on Counterfactual Conditionals
Authors: Vorster Jan , Schuring Gerard
Published: March 2013

Work by Alfred Bloom, suggesting that the lack of a distinct counterfactual marker in Chinese has as a cognitive correlate the inability or unwillingness of Chinese speakers to think counterfactually, elicited a would-be replication and refutation from Terry Kit-Fong Au. Capitalizing on Au's radical modifications of the original experimental design, Bloom was able to turn Au's refutation into a strengthening of his own position. In the present study developmental data from English, Afrikaans and Northern Sotho children, supplemented by data from English and Afrikaans adults, were used to question certain aspects of the Bloom-Au methodology, and of the interpretation of their results. In the absence of control data Bloom's claim that differences between the performance of his English and Chinese subjects are due to the variable ‘counterfactuality’ seems unjustified. The Bloom-Au response-elicitation procedure seems to contain a systematic bias towards responses suggesting counterfactual thinking, which would tend to inflate the end-state of the development under discussion. The assumption that any counterfactual stimulus would per se elicit an appropriate response from speakers of a ‘counterfactual’ language seems suspect.
Behavioural Assessment of Interpersonal Conflict in Industry: Development of the Interpersonal Conflict Scale
Authors: Nunns Christopher G. , Bluen Stephen D. , King Susan
Published: March 2013

A two-factor approach toward the measurement of interpersonal conflict, incorporating dimensions of conflict resolution and conflict provocation, is proposed. The development of the Interpersonal Conflict Scale, a behaviourally based, self- or subordinate-rated measure of interpersonal conflict, is described. Factor analysis on a sample of 304 industrial supervisors yielded two subscales, a 10-item Resolution subscale and a 15-item Provocation subscale. Satisfactory internal and temporal consistency coefficients were recorded for the supervisor sample and two employee samples ( N = 172 and 20). Also, the two conflict scales correlated significantly and in the predicted directions with measures of confrontational supervisory style, satisfaction with supervision, role conflict and quality of supervisor-subordinate role exchange. No significant correlations were found between either the Resolution and Provocation subscales and a measure of social desirability. Future implications for use of the scale are discussed.
What Do We Do before We Do Theory?
Authors: Jordaan Wilhelm J.
Published: March 2013

Against the background of a ‘diagnosis’ of present-day mainstream psychological enterprise, the author explores in which way the application of the method of logico-conceptual critique may enhance the development of theory in psychology. Logico-conceptual critique is described as an heuristic device aimed at the detection and explication of logical tensions/defects/fallacies in psychological theories. It is stressed that the method necessitates the employment of the conceptual schemes of common-sense in terms of which psychological ‘subjects’ or ‘testees’ comprehend their real-life contexts. To apply the method, the author selected a particular research area (concept formation) and concentrated on theoretical positions emanating from three psychological metaphors, namely, man: the behaving machine; man: the mediatory ‘agent’ in the machine; and man: the information processor. Various logico-conceptual weaknesses in each of these positions are pointed out. It is concluded that logico-conceptual critique is an activity that should precede all experimentation, data gathering and theory building. Various suggestions are made as to how the conceptual schemes of common sense may become part and parcel of theory development in psychology.
An Exploration of the Role of Description in Psychology as a Descriptive Science
Authors: van Vuuren Rex J.
Published: March 2013

From a phenomenological point of view psychology as a human science is a descriptive science. Psychology as a descriptive science and psychology as an explanatory science are two distinct types of science and should not be viewed as two phases of science. The major arguments of Amedeo Giorgi's theoretical justification of descriptive science are presented. His arguments are the grounds on which two leading questions are explicated: What is description and what is the role of description in qualitative research? In reflecting on the context of gathering, creating and analysing descriptions, a distinction between description1 (concrete life-world descriptions) and description2 (psychological description of a phenomenon) is made. Descriptions are placed in the context of the researcher's interest; the researcher's request for a description by a subject; the subject as a narrator; the meaning of a description as a text; the researcher as a reader of descriptions and the researcher as author of description2. The conclusion consists of what might be ‘good’ descriptions.
The Debate about the Relevance of South African Psychology – A Metatheoretical Imperative
Authors: Retief Alexis
Published: March 2013

A recent debate about the relevance of South African psychology is reviewed with a view to discerning the metatheoretical assumptions held by the major protagonists. It is shown how a large part of the apparently substantive differences about the ‘relevance’ of psychology actually derives from metatheoretical differences about the nature of social science and of psychology. Furthermore, it is argued that an understanding of these metatheoretical differences should be an essential component of the debate about the relevance of psychology in the South African context.
Psychology and Ideology: The Case of Althusser
Authors: Hayes Grahame
Published: March 2013

Psychology's silence is noted in some of the major debates in the philosophy of science at the moment. It is suggested that psychology's participation in issues of the philosophy of science could meaningfully contribute to a critical theoretical psychology. This article focuses on the question of ideology. Two ways of addressing ideology in psychology are identified: a critical dimension and a substantive dimension. The article develops the substantive dimension which tries to account for the operations of ideology at the level of the individual. This is an important corrective as theories of ideology, derived mainly from social theory, have been weak in explaining the operations of ideology at the level of the individual. It is suggested that Althusser's work is able to contribute, if read in a psychological way, to an understanding of the operations of ideology in its more individual manifestations. After a brief presentation of Althusser's work, four central aspects of his theory of ideology are critically discussed. It is argued that a critical understanding of Althusser's theory of ideology opens up theoretical and empirical space for a psychological analysis of the constitution and development of human individuality.
Toward the Prediction and Stimulation of Creativity
Authors: Ochse Rhona
Published: March 2013

In this article, various conceptions of creativity are briefly considered, the assumption that findings relating to one type of creativity may be generalized to another is questioned, a pattern of characteristics and experiences that are typical of eminent productive creators is focused on, and some of the implications for the prediction and promotion of productive creativity are pointed out. In combination, consistent findings of various types of past research seem to form a pattern. They suggest that three factors, acting in concert, contribute to the development of the persistent motivation that is typical of productive creators: (a) values relating to intellectual achievement; (b) precocious development of basic ability in a relevant domain; and (c) stress. These influences apparently cause a tendency to engage in independent intellectual pursuits which offer palliation, afford a sense of control, build a wider repertoire of skill and knowledge than is usually gained through adherence to a curriculum, and establish a habit of working alone. Among the implications of findings relating to eminent creators is that creativity may best be predicted by creative mentors in the relevant field and is promoted by development of skill, intellectual values and high standards, rather than freedom from discipline or evaluation.
A Study of Childhood Sexual Abuse among South African University Women Students
Authors: Levett Ann
Published: March 2013

There are no prevalence figures for childhood sexual abuse among South African women university students. This study addressed this gap, providing figures for an unselected, non-clinical group of 94 women students who constituted the sample at the University of Cape Town. A review of the methodological problems in this kind of research suggests that one of these concerns the stigma associated with sexual abuse. A novel approach which combines a search for prevalence information as well as providing participants with a potentially therapeutic experience is described. The intervention took the form of structured educational input concerning the relationship between gender socialization and sexual abuse, and stereotypes about sexual assault and abuse. Unpressured discussion of personal experience was facilitated in a supportive context of peer groups, organized around non-threatening tasks, to enable breaking of the silence which so often follows sexual abuse. Written discussions of childhood sexual abuse were obtained later and, although such information was not solicited, students voluntarily disclosed their own experience. This revealed 43,6% of the group (41 women) had experienced 61 instances of sexual abuse under age 18 years. Attempted rape or rape had occurred in 17% of the self-identified sexually abused women, and 47,5% of the 61 instances of sexual abuse had involved intrusive physical contact. There had been no previous disclosure in 34,4% of cases. On follow-up, two-thirds of the women expressed reservations about voluntary open discussion of sexual abuse within the peer groups, clearly implicating expectations of stigmatic effects following disclosure.
Do White South African Managers Suffer from Exceptional Levels of Job Stress?
Authors: Strümpfer D.J.W.
Published: March 2013

A sample of 163 white, male, English-speaking managers from a diversity of disciplines, functional areas and kinds of business and industry completed self-report scales on job demands, role stressors and social support. Their scores were compared with those of comparable samples from elsewhere, mainly from the USA, for whom data were obtained from published sources. The South African mean of 48,9 hours worked per week was similar to those of comparable groups. On a variety of job demands the South African sample showed a trend towards higher demands, which was interpreted in terms of a shortage of high-level human resources, due to over-utilization of whites and under-utilization of blacks. The trend was towards greater role clarity in the South African sample and no greater role conflict was found. More social support was reported than in the case of Dutch samples but less than in USA samples. A generally positive interpretation was given, with an element of eustress also being present.
Tradisionele navorsingsielkunde se epistemologiese verleentheid
Authors: van Lill J.B.
Published: March 2013

The epistemological embarrassment of traditional research psychology. Although psychology's traditional research methodology and philosophy of science have over the years been blamed by various authors for the inadequate knowledge of humankind, I demonstrate in the present article that psychology's epistemological problems more probably stem from higher order metatheoretical assumptions. On this metatheoretical level (called ‘justificationism’ here) the concepts of knowledge, proof and authority are confused and equated. A statement is not regarded as knowledge unless the necessary proof is furnished and an appeal is made to the correct authority. In traditional research psychology the empirically observable is taken to be the source and criterion of knowledge and it is accepted that a researcher should move from empirically observable phenomena to knowledge by means of deductive and inductive arguments. To the great embarrassment of the supporters of justificationism the assumptions that the empirically observable or traditional logic in the form of deductive and inductive arguments lead to indisputable knowledge, cannot be justified on logical or empirical grounds. Consequently it also cannot be accepted that knowledge gathered under the banner of justificationism is indisputable.
Perceptions of Water Pollution in South Africa: Case Studies from Two Water Bodies (Hartbeespoort Dam and Zandvlei)
Authors: Thornton J.A. , McMillan P.H. , Romanovsky P.
Published: March 2013

A questionnaire survey of over 3 000 recreational users of inland waters in the greater Pretoria and Cape Town areas was conducted during 1987/8 for the purpose of quantifying, as far as possible, the perceptions of the public towards water quality and water pollution in South Africa. Respondents indicated that excessive aquatic plant growth and other visually aesthetic factors were the principal determinants of water quality, regardless of demographic background. These results are comparable to results obtained in similar studies in north America and appear to be indicative of a rising awareness of environmental issues in South Africa. There was a general willingness among respondents to meet the higher costs associated with the achievement of improved standards of water quality and the elimination of the perceived problems enumerated above.
Black South Africans' Constructions of Their Urban Environments
Authors: McCarthy J.J.
Published: March 2013

The theory of personal constructs and repertory-grid methodology were used to investigate black South Africans' constructions of their urban environments. A sample of 735 residents of the black townships of five eastern Cape towns and cities provided the basis for generalization on trends in group constructions of urban environments, and perceptions of urban problems. House type and quality and basic residential and transportation infrastructure were found to predominate such constructions and perceptions. Significant differences were evident, however, between towns and social classes. The policy implications of the findings are assessed.
The Project of Social Science and the Activities of Psychologists
Authors: Craig Anita P.
Published: March 2013

In this article the author uses meta-theory and the analyses of philosophers of social science to make proposals for the study of human action. An important aspect of the article revolves around the tension and conflict between lay and social scientific conceptualizations of human action. The methodology outlined and the empirical data included juxtapose ‘the said and done’ of ordinary actors and the ‘tests’ constructed by social scientists.
Psychological Preparation for Gastroscopy: A Brief Intervention Reduces Patient Stress More than a Detailed Intervention
Authors: Fourie Lourenza , Nell Victor
Published: March 2013

The efficacy of psychological preparation for gastroscopy was investigated by allocating 43 subjects presenting for routine diagnostic gastroscopy to three groups. Of these, eight received a detailed 40-minute preparation with information on the gastroscope, the examination procedure, sensations to be expected, and a variety of coping mechanisms, including relaxation techniques; 15 subjects had a 10-minute preparation in which brief procedural and sensory information were given, and two coping mechanisms described; 20 control subjects received no preparation. The briefly prepared subjects showed a decisive advantage over both the controls and the detailed preparation group in measures of mood and behavioural manifestations of stress. Implications of these findings are considered with regard to the emotional factors co-existing with gastric-duodenal ulcerative disease, particularly in a South African context, and for the cost-effective preparation of patients for this and other stressful medical procedures.
A Comparison between the Achievement Motivation of Male and Female School Children in the Pretoria and Witwatersrand Area
Authors: Thomson Elza
Published: March 2013

Achievement is generally applauded in South African society. However, the reaction of individuals to the prospects of success might well be variable. In this study Need for Achievement and Fear of Success are probed among 302 male and 285 female, white English- and Afrikaans-speaking matriculant students in four schools in the Pretoria/Witwatersrand area. These motives are related to one another and to 16 personality factors. The results are compared with those of similar studies conducted in the United States of America.
Children's Perceptions of and Identification with the Social Reality of The Cosby Show: A Comparison between the USA and South Africa
Authors: van Vuuren Daan P. , Bornman Elirea , Mels Gerhard , van Vuuren Mariétte
Published: March 2013

The way in which blacks are depicted in The Cosby Show deviates from stereotype expectations and the programme was very popular in the USA and South Africa. In this study the realism with which South African white and black children perceived The Cosby Show was compared with the perceived realism of American children according to a study by Brown, Austin and Roberts. In both studies socio-economic status or income and ethnic group membership had a significant bearing on perceived realism. A factor analysis of the South African data identified eight factors: role identification, peer group identification, family communication, preference for The Cosby Show, solving family problems, stereotyping, family interaction and perceived realism. A multiple linear regression analysis with role identification as dependent variable indicated that ethnic group membership and age were significant predictors. A path analysis revealed that family interaction, family communication and peer group identification were significant predictors of role identification. Peer group identification, role identification and family communication were significant predictors of preference for The Cosby Show. The conclusion is drawn that identification could play an important role in the popularity of The Cosby Show among South African children, and particularly among black children.
Analysis of Sample Selection, Sample Composition and Research Design: A Review of the past Decade's Contributions to the South African Journal of Psychology
Authors: Visser Deléne , van Staden Fred
Published: March 2013

This review of research published in the South African Journal of Psychology (SAJP) between 1979 and 1988 included analyses of populations, methods of sample selection, some aspects of sample composition, types of research design employed and approaches to knowledge building. Altogether 149 articles (containing 159 studies) were reviewed. Accessible populations were defined in 67% of the contributions, but in only 3% of the studies were useful descriptions of these populations provided. Only 18% of the studies made use of randomized sample selection procedures while 25% did not explain the procedure used to select their samples. Explicit recognition of population and sample limitations in drawing conclusions was found in only 7% and 19% of the studies respectively. Also, 31% of all samples were drawn from student populations. Eighty-three per cent of the studies were intra-culturally oriented, but nearly half of these made use of only white samples. A fairly small number of cross-cultural studies (17%) were recorded. Research designs most frequently adopted were correlational type studies (45%) while the favoured approach to knowledge building was to extend findings (57%) rather than to test theory or replicate prior research. A comparison with a similar analysis of the American Educational Research Journal revealed that mostly only minor differences exist between the two journals. Other topics addressed included an examination of trends over time, the implications of using non-randomized samples, the low incidence of cross-cultural studies and the limited attention paid to replication approaches to knowledge building.
One world, one psychology: ‘Relevance’ and ethnopsychology
Authors: Nell Victor
Published: March 2013

Intellectual and political separatism have propagated two ideas deeply damaging to psychology in the developing countries, and in Africa in particular. One is that the working class of the developing countries — the poor, the ill-educated, and the rural — inhabit a third world that is at a lower evolutionary level than the glittering first world of psychologists and other professionals. The second is that until an indigenous third world (or African) psychology has been developed, psychology and its practitioners will remain irrelevant to the people and problems of the developing countries. In this article the author argues that both the world and psychology are unitary, and that this one psychology is indeed relevant to the developing countries, and that psychology's curriculum in these settings can be enriched not by ‘relevance’, but by human welfare applications derived from psychology as it now exists.
Third world or one world: Mysticism, pragmatism, and pain in family therapy in South Africa
Authors: Seedat Mahomed , Nell Victor
Published: March 2013

The development of psychological services for South Africa's 30 million black people has been stunted by the mystical view, allegedly derived from cross-cultural psychology, that ‘first-world’ psychology is culturally inappropriate for a ‘third-world clientele’, and that for effective service delivery, psychologists must undergo a radical acculturation process before they can join with the epistemology of this clientele. A theoretical base is developed to challenge the simplistic and desocialized notions of culture and race advanced by the cross-cultural mystics, and to propose a pragmatic alternative by drawing attention to the dynamics of oppression and cultural transformation, and to issues of power and social class. It is argued that empowerment in the process of psychotherapy lies in creating a shared language of negotiation and respect which in turn allows for the appropriate use of a problem-oriented family therapy model.
Glue sniffing: A description of social, psychological and neuropsychological factors in a group of South African ‘street children’
Authors: Jansen P. , Richter L.M. , Griesel R.D. , Joubert J.
Published: March 2013

Twenty-two black South African boys who had histories of prolonged glue sniffing, but who were currently not abusing solvents, were evaluated by means of neuropsychological and neurological procedures. On the neuropsychological procedures the group demonstrated multiple deficits which included visual-spatial difficulties, visual scanning problems, language deficiencies, motor incoordination, memory deficits, and attention and concentration problems. The neurological examination showed that two boys had cerebellar signs. Nine of the recorded electroencephalograms were found to be abnormal. The backgrounds and personality profiles of the group together with the circumstances which led to their glue-sniffing activities are discussed.
A Pilot Study of World View of Black and White South African Adolescent Pupils: Implications for Cross-Cultural Counselling
Authors: Hickson Joyce , Christie Grania , Shmukler Diana
Published: March 2013

Research on cross-cultural counselling and psychotherapy began to receive emphasis in the 1970s in the United States. In South Africa the need to devise relevant help for the majority black population and to contextualize psychological services is being increasingly addressed in the literature. In the present study differences in world view between black and white South African adolescent pupils ( n = 200) were investigated. The use of a scale to assess world view across culture indicated significant differences in black and white adolescent pupils’ world view in the areas of Human Nature, Human Relationships, People-Nature, Time Orientation, and Activity. The effect of age and sex on individual variation in scores within groups was also investigated. The implications of the findings of the study for cross-cultural counselling are discussed as well as recommendations for further research using the World View Scale.
Developing and Testing a Model of Psychographic Market Segmentation
Authors: Rousseau Deon
Published: March 2013

An integrated model of market segmentation for furniture buyers in South Africa was developed and tested. The model was derived from broad segmentation categories used by researchers in the field. Hypotheses relating to value and life-style groups suggested in the model were formulated and tested on a sample of white and coloured households in the Eastern Cape. Results indicate that the instrument developed for testing the model shows modest reliability. Four life-style groups which were identified in the model emerged from the empirical data. This suggests the applicability of the model as a guideline for furniture market segmentation in South Africa.
The Application of Generalizability Theory to the Reliability of Ratings
Authors: Huysamen G.K.
Published: March 2013

Rating procedures typically require several raters to rate individuals on several items so that the consistency of two facets (raters and items), each of which has more than two levels, need to be examined. Classical test theory is inadequate to describe reliability in this context because the presence of errors of severity, leniency and central tendency violates the assumption of parallelism. Cronbach's generalizability theory is eminently suited to the reliability estimation of ratings because it does not require this assumption. Apart from yielding intraclass correlations as generalizability coefficients, it provides for the separate estimation of the variability of raters and items and presents explicit guidelines for deciding whether generalizabililty should be raised by increasing raters or items. These theoretical implications are demonstrated in terms of a numerical example published in the South African literature.
Cross-Cultural Indicators of Help-Seeking Behaviour in Aggressive General Hospital Patients
Authors: Schlebusch Lourens , Wessels Wessel H. , Rzadkowolsky Anna
Published: March 2013

In this study the authors researched cross-cultural identification of aggressive behaviour disturbances as identifying factors for patients' family members to seek professional help for the patients. Patients ( N = 40), mainly Zulu-speaking were drawn from the outpatient clinic of a large academic general hospital. In all 23 (57,5%) of the patients and 25 (62,5%) of the relatives were urbanized. A comparison was made between what the patients' families considered problematic as opposed to formal professional diagnostic and aetiological considerations in the same patients. Several trends emerged from the results. It was demonstrated that the behavioural disturbances formed the most important set of identifying criteria for the family of the index patient. It held true for people in various stages of urbanization. Cognitive, mood and perceptual disturbances were of a lesser identifying value to families. Predictably, there were some differences between urban and rural families. Rural families were more attuned to the patient's problems but generally remained more tolerant of the aggressive behaviour and were less ready to seek professional help. These findings, some known from clinical observations and anecdotal communications, have seldom been objectively analysed — particularly in Africa. Implications for management, along with various related cross-cultural issues, are discussed.
Rage Dyscontrol: Part 1 Diagnostic and Forensic Issues
Authors: Nell Victor
Published: March 2013

Rage dyscontrol, defined as rage outbursts that are strikingly disproportionate to the provoking stimulus, ranges in intensity from verbal abuse through to episodes of sufficient violence to cause significant property damage, injury, or death to others. The emergence and current status of rage dyscontrol as a distinct clinical entity are reviewed, a typology of dyscontrol constructed, and its known organic substrates described. The dyscontrol syndrome, shown to be unrelated to temporal lobe epilepsy, is then reviewed in relation to developmental antecedents on the one hand and a known history of traumatic brain injury on the other. Finally, the likely utility of rage dyscontrol as an extenuation in criminal cases is discussed in the light of a case history. The treatment of rage dyscontrol is considered in Part 2 of the article (this issue).
Rage Dyscontrol: Part 2 Approaches to Treatment with Special Reference to Traumatic Brain Injury
Authors: Nell Victor
Published: March 2013

Rage dyscontrol, described and defined in Part 1 of this article (this issue), presents health care professionals with difficult and invariably urgent treatment problems, since rage outbursts disproportionate to the provocation are corrosive of relationships and readily lead to institutionalization. The manifestations of dyscontrol after traumatic brain injury are described in the light of case studies, and its precipitating organic and dynamic factors reviewed. Prerequisites for effective psychotherapy with dyscontrolled clients are defined, and a variety of treatment approaches described. Finally, the medicative control of rage is considered.
Expression of Aggression and Personality Functioning in Selected Groups of White Criminal Offenders
Authors: van den Worm Yvonne , Wissing Marié P.
Published: March 2013

The purpose of the study was to investigate the role of aggression in the personality functioning of murderers by comparing them with assaulters, thieves and a group of non-offenders. It was hypothesized that (1) murderers from the New Zonderwater Prison differ from murderers in the other prisons with regard to the expression of aggression as measured by the Buss-Durkee Hostility Scale, and (2) thieves, assaulters, murderers, and non-offenders differ with regard to the expression of aggression as measured by the Buss-Durkee Hostility Scale and the Picture Situation, and in personality functioning, as measured by the Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire and the Thematic Apperception Test. The sample consisted of 111 murderers, 26 assaulters, 129 thieves and 52 non-offenders, all of European descent. Both hypotheses were supported by the results of the study. Murderers in the New Zonderwater Prison (M1-group) manifested a personality profile characterized by a lack of impulse control, while murderers from the Open Zonderwater Prison, Pretoria Central Prison and Kroonstad Male Prison (M2-group) manifested a personality profile characterized by rigid control in the expression of aggression. Psychodynamically there is a lack of smooth fluctuation and equilibrium between impulse and control mechanisms in both groups, which indicates immature personality development. The assaulters were similar to the M1-murderers in their expression of aggression. The M2-murderers resembled the thieves in some personality traits, but were in many traits more similar to the non-offenders than to any of the other offender groups. Several differences were found between non-offenders on the one hand and offenders on the other.
Mediation of Detention Trauma via Perceived Locus of Control
Authors: Perkel Adrian Keith
Published: March 2013

Political detention in South Africa has been documented to contain conditions inherently detrimental to psychological health. Reports indicate high levels of stress reponses associated with conditions of solitary confinement, and physical and psychological abuse — particularly in the form of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Amongst the moderating variables that may mediate between detention stress and post-detention trauma is perceived locus of control. In the present study the author aimed to determine post-detention sequelae and the moderating influence of perceived locus of control in this specific context. A Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder scale was combined with an Index of Well-being scale and correlated with a Detention Locus of Control scale to assess mediation significance of experienced ‘traumatization’. Results indicated a positive correlation with those who are internal in their perceived locus of control suffering reduced post-stress sequelae, compared to those who are more externally oriented. Implications and limitations of the study are discussed with specific reference to therapeutic intervention in the clinical context.
Salutogenesis: A New Paradigm
Authors: Strümpfer D.J.W.
Published: March 2013

In contrast to the traditional pathogenic paradigm, a paradigm of salutogenesis (tracing the origins of health) is suggested on the basis of Antonovsky's writings. Examples are presented to support the view that stressors are omnipresent, rather than the exception; however, it is also argued that people are nevertheless surviving and are remaining healthy. Five examples of salutogenic constructs which help explain such a concurrence are reviewed, namely, Antonovsky's ‘sense of coherence’, Kobasa's ‘personality hardiness’, Ben-Sira's ‘potency’, Thomas's and Colerick's ‘stamina’, and Rosenbaum's ‘learned resourcefulness’. Relationships between these constructs are discussed.