bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Indian and Isizulu-Speaking South African Parents' Estimates of Their Own and Their Children's Intelligence
Authors: Furnham Adrian , Mkhize Nhlanhla , Mndaweni T.
Published: March 2013

South African parents of both African and Indian origin estimated their own intelligence (on seven factors) and that of their first three children. Parents of Indian origin gave higher self-estimates than isiZulu-speaking parents, and fathers gave higher self-estimates than mothers. The results indicated that parents of Indian origin showed a greater gender difference discrepancy than isiZulu-speaking parents on spatial, musical and bodily kinaesthetic intelligence. Estimates of the intelligence of all the first-, second- and third-born children showed a similar pattern. While there were few sex differences in the estimations, parents of Indian origin tended to give higher estimates than isiZulu-speaking parents. The results obtained are discussed in terms of the educational and political history of South Africa.
Discerning Community Resilience in Disadvantaged Communities in the Context of Violence and Injury Prevention
Authors: Ahmed Rashid , Seedat Mohamed , van Niekerk Ashley , Bulbulia Samed
Published: March 2013

The study of community resilience is a relatively under-explored area. Accordingly, in an attempt to further our understanding of community resilience, we present a study focused on the development of a questionnaire to assess and delineate the nature of community resilience across three low socio-economic neighbourhoods in the Western Cape. The study embraced a participatory framework that incorporated several phases. Data indicated significant associations between some of the dimensions of community resilience, namely, neighbourhood cohesion and community hope ( p<0.001, Fisher-Exact); community structures and leadership and social supports ( p<0.05, Fisher-Exact); the ownership of a business and physical security ( p<0.001, Chi-squared); and the ownership of a business and social supports ( p<0.05, Chi-squared). However, some of the community resilience measures, such as the knowledge of treatment of injuries yielded no associations with any of the other measures. Using the Chi-squared test, it was found that there were significant differences between the three communities on three of the resiliency measures: neighbourhood cohesion ( p<0.001), knowledge of treatment of injuries ( p<0.001), and community structures and leadership ( p<0.001). The results suggested that communities may have the capacity to develop resilient responses and that these responses differ across neighbourhoods. By way of conclusion, we discuss the findings and review the implications for the further conceptualisation and operationalisation of the notion of community resilience.
Critical Psychology in South Africa: Looking Back and Looking Ahead
Authors: Painter Desmond , Blanche Martin Terre
Published: March 2013

In this article we sketch the development, current status and future prospects of critical psychology in South Africa. We review critical psychology initiatives across a number of domains, including professional and activist organisations, university courses and programmes, conferences, and publication initiatives. In each case we show how developments in critical psychology reflected and contributed to broader social processes as South Africa emerged from apartheid. We also trace the links between local critical psychology groupings and the international critical psychology movement. Finally, we draw attention to areas (such as mental health activism, forensic psychology and community psychology) where South African critical psychologists have been relatively inactive or have played a politically ambiguous role. We conclude with suggestions for making critical psychology theory and practice relevant, not only to academic psychologists, but also to all who have a stake in South African psychology.
The Call for Relevance: South African Psychology Ten Years into Democracy
Authors: de la Rey Cheryl , Ipser Jonathan
Published: March 2013

A number of scholars during the 1980s and early 1990s questioned the relevance of psychology in South Africa. In this paper we characterise the nature of what became known as the ‘relevance debate’, and then investigate whether South African psychology has become more relevant during the nation's first ten years of democracy. Themes which are identified with respect to this issue include the apparent increasing representation of marginalised groups within South African psychology, the conscious responsiveness of psychologists to post-apartheid policy imperatives and issues, their alignment with international theoretical trends, and finally, an increasing recognition of the political nature of South African psychology. The authors conclude that a more productive approach within future debates regarding relevance in psychology would be to examine the nature of knowledge production within the discipline.
Following Apartheid: Authorship Trends in the South African Journal of Psychology after 1994
Authors: Duncan Norman , van Niekerk Ashley , Townsend Loraine
Published: March 2013

This article explores the salience of racialised authorship trends in South African psychology post-1994. Specifically, the article investigates whether Black authors currently are better represented in South African psychology than during the pre-1994 period; and whether earlier racialised disparities in authorship in South African psychology are narrowing. The article is based on an analysis of the 36 issues of the South African Journal of Psychology (SAJP), published from 1994 to 2003. The names, institutional affiliation, authorship positions, gender and ‘race’ of authors were identified for all contributions of the identified issues of the journal. Simple frequency counts and cross-tabulations were calculated to produce descriptive information. This article reports that, irrespective of authorship position, approximately 78% of authors who had been published in the SAJP during the period under consideration were White and approximately 22% were Black. Despite representing an ongoing marginal voice in the realm of psychological knowledge production, Black authors' contributions to the SAJP increased nearly three-fold since the early 1990s. Similar increases were identified for sole authorship and first authorship, amongst others. These results are examined within the context of a population of Black psychologists that has been increasing steadily since the 1990s.
Women and Authorship in Post-Apartheid Psychology
Authors: Shefer Tamara , Shabalala Nokuthula , Townsend Loraine
Published: March 2013

This article addresses the issue of women's authorship in psychology. It reflects on the contributions of women authors to psychological knowledge production over the last 10 years through a quantitative assessment of authorship in the South African Journal of Psychology (SAJP). Key variables utilised include ‘race’, gender, university (i.e., historically black universities versus historically white universities), sole versus collective authorship, and the order of authors in multiple authored articles. The article highlights the historical silencing of women, particularly black women, in the broader realm of knowledge production, both internationally and in local context. Some of the debates arguing for the value of women's voice in research and publishing are highlighted before the findings of the small descriptive survey are reported. Findings are both predictable and disappointing. While women as a group appear to be publishing relatively well in relation to men as a group, and the overall trend shows a closing of the gap over the last ten years, the intersection of ‘race’ and gender foregrounds the continued marginalisation of black women as authors, as well as the relative stasis of this situation over the last ten years. Furthermore, when taking the numbers of registered psychologists in South Africa into account, women as a group are in the majority, yet are represented in inverse proportion to their numbers in the profession when it comes to publishing. Women also appear to be publishing more in collectives, while men are moving significantly more towards single authorship, reflecting gender stereotypes with respect to co-operative versus individualist modes. Differences between histirically black universities (HBUs) and historically white universities (HWUs) continue, with women publishing less in the former, which is argued to relate to continued areas of inequity and lack of institutional resources and support. The article concludes by emphasising the importance of women's role as producers of knowledge in the profession. It raises a number of material recommendations for ways to support women, especially younger and black authors, in facilitating a more equitable representation of authorship in South African psychology.
Racism as Abjection: A Psychoanalytic Conceptualisation for a Post-Apartheid South Africa
Authors: Hook Derek
Published: March 2013

Treating the analysis of racism as a key critical imperative of South African psychology, this article questions the adequacy of many of the social constructionist or discursive approaches to racism that have proved influential in critical South African social psychology of late (Dixon, 1996; 1997; Dixon Dixon, Foster, Durrheim, & Wilbraham, 1994; Duncan, 1993; 1996; Duncan, van Niekerk, de la Rey, & Seedat, 2001; Durrheim & Dixon, 2000; 2001; Foster, 1993; 1999; Terre Blanche & Seedat, 2001). While such approaches have much to recommend them as means of apprehending institutional, historical, representational and textual forms of racism, and while they offer a vital critique of de-politicising, individualising treatments of racism which reduce it to an internal psychology of sorts (a function of personality variables, perceptions, attributions, attitudes, cognitions, traits, authoritarianism, prejudice, etc.) (see for example Bhana, 1977; Bhana & Bhana, 1975; Duckitt, 1991; Heaven, 1977; MacCrone, 1930; 1932; 1949; Mynhardt, Plug, Tyson & Viljoen, 1979; Orpen, 1973; Simon & Barling, 1983), they nevertheless appear somewhat limited in their ability to grasp those less palpable and more insidious forms of racism, those structures of oppression, that, in Young's (1990a, p. 11) terms, ‘lie beneath the level of discursive awareness’. By focusing on racism’ overt structural or discursive forms we risk losing sight of the ‘psychic density’ of this phenomenon, that is, racism's extraordinarily affective and often eruptive quality, its visceral or embodied nature, its apparent stubbornness to social, historical, discursive change, the intensity, in other words of the individual racist's investment in their own racist subjectivity. Julia's Kristeva's notion of abjection has much to recommend it as the basis for a tentative analytics of racism to be able to understand racism's extremities of affect, its visceral, ‘pre-discursive’ and bodily forms, and its symptomatic aspects of avoidance and aversion. This model is useful in helping us to appreciate that racism is a phenomenon which is as psychical as it is political, affective as it is discursive, subjective as it is ideological.
Standing on the Shoulders of Giants: Notes on Early Positive Psychology (Psychofortology)
Authors: Strümpfer D. J. W.
Published: March 2013

Psychofortology is an alternative designation for positive psychology, and fortology (Latin fortis = strong) an antonym for pathology. The strengths paradigm has ancient origins. In this article brief reviews are presented of contributions made during the first eight decades of the twentieth century by mainly psychologists and psychiatrists. Among the most outstanding were James, Jung, Allport, Murray, Rogers, Frankl, Maslow, Csikszentmihalyi and Antonovsky; in all, some 40 forerunners are mentioned. By way of integration, their concepts are classified in terms of J. M. Digman's (1997) higher order personality factors a (socialisation process) and β (personal growth), as well as spirituality/religiousness. A preponderance of the personal growth category was noticeable, particularly from the late 1950s until the early 1970s. The relative neglect of socialisation and interdependencies deserves to be remedied in fortological theory and research.
Predictive Validity of General Intelligence and Big Five Measures for Adult Basic Education and Training Outcomes
Authors: de Bruin Karina , de Bruin Gideon P. , Dercksen Sarita , Cilliers-Hartslief Marna
Published: March 2013

This study explored whether scores on intelligence tests and personality questionnaires can predict performance in an adult basic education and training (ABET) programme. Participants in ABET programmes often have limited English reading skills, which make the use of conventional assessment tools problematic. A proposed solution is to utilise instruments that make limited demands on the use of language. Raven's Progressive Matrices (RPM), a well-established intelligence test, and the Five Factor-Nonverbal Personality Questionnaire (FF-NPQ) are both instruments that do not require any reading. The performance of 82 participants in the practical and academic components of an ABET programme was correlated with the RPM and the five traits of the FF-NPQ, namely, Extraversion, Conscientiousness, Openness to Experience, Neuroticism and Agreeableness. The RPM correlated significantly with both the practical ( r= 0.47) and academic components ( r= 0.35). The Agreeableness scale of the FF-NPQ correlated significantly with the practical component ( r = 0.34). No personality scale correlated significantly with the academic component. The results show that non-verbal intelligence tests and personality inventories can be potentially useful in the prediction of performance in an ABET programme.
Mainstream and Remedial School Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Boys: More Alike than Different
Authors: Savitz J. B. , Jansen P.
Published: March 2013

The literature on the neuropsychology of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is plagued by inconsistent findings, which are usually attributed to a variety of extraneous variables. One of the most inadequately explored of these variables is the difference between ADHD children attending remedial and mainstream schools. This study aimed to investigate whether the performance of remedial and mainstream school ADHD boys differs on relevant neuropsychological tasks. The sample consisted of three groups of 8- to 12-year-old boys. Two of these groups consisted of children with ADHD: one from remedial schools and one from mainstream schools. The third group was made up of participants without ADHD, who attended mainstream schools. The performance of the remedial school learners on the Stroop, Lurian and cancellation tasks was investigated and compared to a mainstream school ADHD sample. The performance of the ADHD group as a whole was compared with that of a control group. No significant difference in performance was found between the two ADHD groups, except for the length of time taken to read words in the control condition of the Stroop. The control group out-performed the ADHD samples on the Stroop, Lurian and cancellation tasks. The findings suggest that mainstream and remedial ADHD boys do not differ in the severity of their executive deficits, but that boys with ADHD attending remedial schools may be more likely to have another learning disorder than their counterparts at mainstream schools.
Psychometric Properties of the Self-Esteem Questionnaire for South African Adolescents
Authors: Wild Lauren G. , Flisher Alan J. , Bhana Arvin , Lombard Carl
Published: March 2013

This article describes two studies investigating the reliability and factorial validity of scores on the Self-Esteem Questionnaire (SEQ) for assessing self-evaluations relating to peers, school, family, sports/athletics, body image and global self-worth in South African adolescents. Participants were 900 learners enrolled in Grades 8 and 11 at public schools In Cape Town, and 116 Grades 8 and 11 learners attending independent schools. The results provided general support for the six-factor structure proposed by DuBois, Feiner, Brand, Phillips and Lease (1996) and indicated that SEQ scores have good internal consistency and adequate test-retest reliability for English-speaking South Africans. However, minor revisions are needed for all scale scores to have acceptable internal consistency when translated into isiXhosa or Afrikaans.
Non-Cognitive Disturbances and Patient Characteristics: Prevalence and Relationship in Alzheimer's Disease
Authors: Cassimjee Nafisa , Stuart Anita D. , Marchetti-Mercer Maria
Published: March 2013

The primary aim of this exploratory study was to determine the spectrum of non-cognitive symptom manifestation in a cohort with Alzheimer's disease. The secondary aim was to explore the relationship between non-cognitive indices and patient characteristics. Information was elicited from 63 primary caregivers using a biographical questionnaire, the Behaviour Rating Scale for Dementia and the Blessed Dementia Scale. Symptoms clustered under the neuropsychiatrie nomenclature included mood-related behaviours, which occurred in over 50% of the sample. Agitation, irritability and apathy were the most common neuro-behavioural dysregulatory behaviours reported by caregivers. The correlation between non-cognitive symptoms and patient characteristics revealed that lower cognitive functioning is significantly associated with aggressive actions and higher levels of cognitive functioning with the manifestation of depressive symptoms. These findings have implications for caregiver distress and caregiver management of non-institutionalised Alzheimer's patients.
Patterns of Disclosure in Child Sexual Abuse
Authors: Collings Steven J. , Griffiths Sacha , Kumalo Mandisa
Published: March 2013

This study examined patterns of disclosure in a sample of 1 737 cases of child sexual abuse (1 614 girls and 123 boys) reported in the North Durban policing area of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, during the period January 2001 to December 2003. A content analysis of disclosure patterns identified two broad dimensions of disclosure (Agency: child-initiated disclosure versus detection by a third party, and Temporal duration: an event versus a process); with these disclosure dimensions defining four discrete categories of disclosure: purposeful disclosure (30% of cases), indirect disclosure (9% of cases), eyewitness detection (18% of cases), and accidental detection (43% of cases). A multinomial logistic regression analysis revealed that disclosure patterns were independently predicted by the victim's age, the nature of the victim-perpetrator relationship, the offender's age, the frequency of abuse, and reporting latency. The implications of the findings for primary prevention, forensic interviewing practice, and future research are discussed in detail.
Afrikaner Identity and the Music of Johannes Kerkorrel
Authors: Laubscher Leswin
Published: March 2013

As old identity verities are dislodged, post-apartheid South Africa is witness to dramatic identitary flux. This study examines Afrikaner identity and particularly that of the generational cohort who witnessed the end of apartheid as young adults. Employing a hermeneutic semiology, the study provides a reading of Johannes Kerkorrel's music, arguing that, as cultural text, it enacts identitary discourse and tension. As such, several identitary moments and motifs are noted across a period of roughly 20 years, including that of identity as rebellion, location and individualising interiority. Finally, it is suggested that the law-of-the-father, as apartheid bequest, organises and animates identity struggles for this generation.
Factors Motivating Consumers to Engage in Direct Purchasing
Authors: Jordaan Yolanda
Published: March 2013

Direct marketing is seen as a growing industry in South Africa. In recent years, socio-economic trends, such as changing social patterns and technological advances, have favoured the development of direct marketing. Marketers are entering an era of individualisation in which many of today's consumers are informed buyers. To understand consumers' reasons for direct purchasing, focus has been placed on consumers' buying motives. The purpose of this article is therefore to explore the factors motivating South African consumers to use direct purchasing as a shopping method. Special attention is given to consumers' attitudes toward direct purchasing. The findings of a research survey present the most important motivational factors of direct purchasing. Although the study is of an exploratory nature, hypotheses were formulated based on the available literature and the findings of studies conducted previously in other countries. The main findings indicate that perceived risks are some of the most powerful discriminators between direct purchasers and non-direct purchasers.
On the Micro-Ecology of Racial Division: A Neglected Dimension of Segregation
Authors: Dixon John , Tredoux Colin , Clack Beverley
Published: March 2013

This article provides a general background to this special focus section of the journal on ‘racial interaction and isolation in everyday life’. It reviews both the geographic literature on segregation and the psychological literature on the contact hypothesis, and calls for more research on how, when and why racial isolation manifests at a micro-ecological level; that is, the level at which individuals actually encounter one another in situations of bodily co-presence. Some conceptual and methodological implications of this extension of the segregation literature are described. The social psychological significance of the racial organisation of such ordinary activities as eating in cafeterias, relaxing on beaches and occupying public seating are also explored. The focus of the argument is that everyday boundary processes may maintain the salience of racial categories, embody racial attitudes and regulate the possibility of intimate contact.
Preserving Spatial and Temporal Dimensions in Observational Data of Segregation
Authors: Tredoux Colin , Dixon John , Underwood Stephen , Nunez David , Finchilescu Gillian
Published: March 2013

Recent approaches to the study of intergroup contact have emphasised the need for naturalistic studies and the importance of paying attention to the spatiality of contact. In this article it is argued that it is important to preserve both spatiality and temporality when studying inter-group contact in naturalistic settings. This is not easy to do with existing observational methods, and a novel approach is proposed. Photographs are taken of a public space with a fixed periodicity and vantage point, and with knowledge of the physical layout of the space, three-dimensional, time-marked data points are recorded for each inhabitant. A public space on a university campus was used as a test bed, and data are reported that show it to be very useful, giving fresh insights into the nature of segregation and integration in informal leisure spaces, as well as providing evidence of the importance of taking temporality into account when studying naturalistic instances of inter-group contact.
Racialisation and the Micro-Ecology of Contact
Authors: Foster Don
Published: March 2013

This article reviews and comments on the six articles presented in the special focus section of this issue of the journal on ‘Racial isolation and interaction in everyday life’. Taken together, the articles call for a reinterpretation of the spaces of contact in everyday life, with a new focus on the ‘micro-ecology’ of racialised divisions. Contributions are made in three areas: (a) meta-theory, with a turn to materiality, (b) new methodologies, and (c) understandings of racial segregation and contact. The contact hypothesis is reconsidered with new emphases on relations between bodies–space–time. A ‘relational model’ is given in efforts at explanation.
The Interior Life of Mtutu: Psychological Fact or Fiction?
Authors: Ratele K.
Published: March 2013

This article seeks to understand the routes to, and pasts, possibilities and forms of, the interior world of the African or black person in its relations to the politics and economy of superiority and separation. The world that is explored is primarily sexual, and therefore, incorporates embodied life, but of necessity widens to include affective, cognitive, and purposeful aspects. In the face of the scarcity of scholarly psychological literature in the area of the intimate lives of black individuals, particularly when seen against the backcloth of colonial and apartheid arrangements, the article begins by arguing for the importance of turning to other, imaginative, sources for help in trying to comprehend African interiors. It then turns to meanings of intimacy on which interiority is indexed, going on to discuss the notion in relation to the social, political and economic history of South Africa, while taking in the notion of soul along the way. Next, the interest of colonial and apartheid regimes in intimacy is traced, showing that this interest stretched beyond interpersonal relations to the very calculus of discrimination and domination. The article concludes by urging African scholars to take black inner life a little more seriously and without abandoning creativity, still locating such efforts within radical and ethical theoretical frameworks.
Exploring Resiliency: Academic Achievement among Disadvantaged Black Youth in South Africa
Authors: Dass-Brailsford Priscilla
Published: March 2013

This study attempted to understand how a group of black youth in South Africa who experienced poverty achieved academic success and demonstrated a resilient trajectory. Through a qualitative research design that included ethnographic interviewing, case studies and observation, an insider's perspective was gained. This method was chosen for its ability to generate rich descriptive accounts and use multiple data sources. The results of this study indicated that this group of black students who achieved academic success in South Africa was high achieving, had strong initiative and motivation, was goal orientated and experienced the self as having agency. The atmosphere in the family, usually characterised by strong support also influenced a resilient response. Relationships with teachers, role models and supportive community members were viewed as protective factors. The findings of this research are helpful for educators; in the formulation of child and family policy, and for future comparative studies.
Eating Disorders in South African Males: A Review of the Clinical Presentation of Hospitalised Patients
Authors: Freeman Amanda C. , Szabo Christopher P.
Published: March 2013

South African literature on males with eating disorders is scarce. The existence of these disorders in South Africa males requires documentation; hence the current study was undertaken. Specifically, the research attempted to identify features that were present in males in a South African hospital setting which specialises in the treatment of eating disorders. This research was then compared to contemporary international literature. The patient sample ( n = 17) constituted all males who were admitted into the Eating Disorders Unit of the Tara, H. Morass Centre, during the period 1993 to 2002. The data were collected from a record review and was descriptive in nature. The majority of the sample (76%) was diagnosed with anorexia nervosa. The sample was predominantly located in the upper socio-economic classes. The Eating Disorder Inventory (EDI) scores displayed an overall deterioration at discharge. Further, body mass index (BMI) increased insufficiently at discharge. This was in contrast to the findings in the relevant literature and may be the result of a shorter hospital admission. High exercise activity was observed and was important diagnostically. Few definitive co-morbid diagnoses were made, except for significant relational difficulties. This was contrary to the findings in the international literature, which strongly indicates mood and obsessive compulsive disorders. While broad generalisations based on this sample are limited, the findings do serve as a departure point for increasing awareness of the disorder in the male population.
Prevalence of Violence against Women: Distress, Coping and Psychological Well-Being. Surviving the Fire?
Authors: Oosthuizen C. M. Tertia , Wissing Marié P.
Published: March 2013

The aims of this study were to establish the prevalence of violence in a sample of women in the North West Province of South Africa, and to determine whether a higher frequency of experiences of violence are associated with more distress and differences in coping strategies and levels of psychological well-being. A stratified, random population-based sample of 387 participants completed several questionnaires in a cross-sectional survey design with the aid of trained fieldworkers who conducted the survey in the mother tongue of the participants. Questionnaires measured the frequency and kinds of violence experienced, distress symptoms, coping strategies, psychological well-being and quality of life experienced. Data on the relevant variables were also gathered in four in-depth individual interviews and a focus group discussion. The results indicated that 62% of women in the sample had experienced some form of violence in relationships and 42% experienced violence on a regular basis. This study adds data on the epidemiology of various types of violence against women in South Africa. Women who had experienced violence, and more so, women who had experienced a higher frequency of violence, showed more distress symptoms, lower levels of psychological well-being and a lower quality of life in several domains of life, than women who had no or less experience of violence. However, even those women who experienced high levels of violence managed to maintain some strengths and constructive coping strategies that might have helped them to survive. It is indicated that identifying and building psychological strengths in women from a positive psychology perspective may add value to current interventions and preventative efforts.
Dual-Task Processing: Effects of Task Difficulty and Stimulus Similarity on Dual-Task Performance
Authors: Chipunza C. , Mandeya A.
Published: March 2013

Previous research on factors that influence divided attention have focused on resource allocation, age of participants, task difficulty and familiarity, practice effects as well as brain areas that control dual task performance. The present study examined the effects of task difficulty and stimulus similarity on dual-task performance. One hundred and twenty participants, divided into four equal groups were asked to read a typewritten passage and at the same time to listen to an auditory message. The tasks for each group differed in terms of similarity and difficulty. The results showed no significant main effect of task difficulty ( F(1.116) = 1.36, p>0.05) and a significant main effect of stimulus similarity ( F(1.116) = 51.51, p<0.05). Performance in the conditions was dependent on stimulus similarity and information type. In terms of significant interaction effects, interference effects were observed more in the easy—dissimilar and difficult—dissimilar conditions than in the easy—similar and difficult—similar conditions. The results are discussed in the context of language processing and dual—task processing. Suggestions for future research are made.
Development of the Learning Potential Computerised Adaptive Test (Lpcat)
Authors: de Beer Marié
Published: March 2013

An overview of the development of a dynamic test for the measurement of learning potential — the Learning Potential Computerised Adaptive Test (LPCAT) — is provided. The test was developed in South Africa with a view to providing information on the present and potential future level of general non-verbal figurai reasoning ability for persons from different backgrounds in a way that is fair to all concerned. Multicultural samples were used in its development and standardisation. Item response theory principles and computerised adaptive testing technology addressed many of the earlier measurement problems in the dynamic assessment of learning potential and made possible the construction of a psychometrically sound, yet time-efficient and practically useful tool for the measurement of learning potential in multicultural contexts.
Development of the Sources of Work Stress Inventory
Authors: de Bruin Gideon P. , Taylor Nicola
Published: March 2013

This article describes the development of the Sources of Work Stress Inventory (SWSI). Factor analyses of the generated items produced (a) a General Work Stress Scale and (b) eight Sources of Work Stress scales, namely Bureaucracy/Autonomy, Relationships, Tools and Equipment, Workload, Role Ambiguity, Work/Home Interface, Job Security and Career Advancement. Rasch rating scale analyses supported the construct validity and reliability of the scales. A multiple regression analysis confirmed the expected strong relationship between the different sources of work stress and the experience of stress in the workplace. It is concluded that the SWSI shows promise as a measure of work stress in the South African context.
Development and Psychometric Properties of the Problematic Internet use Questionnaire
Authors: Thatcher Andrew , Goolam Shamira
Published: March 2013

Since the inception of the Internet, research has suggested that a small group of people have a tendency to abuse the Internet and thereby cause damage to their health, their personal life and/or their professional life. Numerous terms, including Internet Addiction Disorder and pathological Internet use, have been used to describe this behaviour and its consequences. More recently, the term, problematic Internet use, has been favoured to describe people who cannot resist engaging with the Internet. This article describes the development and psychometric properties of the Problematic Internet Use Questionnaire (PIUQ). The development of the PIUQ was a two-stage process involving a pilot study on a smaller sample (N = 279) and a validation study on a much larger sample (N = 1795). The results of the validation study provided good evidence for the reliability and construct validity of the PIUQ. The exploratory factor analysis suggests that the PIUQ may consist of three sub-scales (i.e., Online preoccupation, Adverse effects and Social interactions), each with good internal reliability. The discussion provides recommendations for future studies using and validating the PIUQ.
Transactional and Relational Aspects of the Psychological Contracts of Temporary Workers
Authors: Lee Gregory John , Faller Nicole
Published: March 2013

Contingent labour is an increasingly important part of the international and South African business environment. Several questions arise regarding the relationships between such workers and the client organisations that utilise their labour. Do contingent workers maintain transactional relationships only? Can loyalty and commitment be increased in such workers? Using the concept of the psychological contract, this article ascertains whether relationships with the client organisation vary for South African temporary workers of varying tenures. Employing a cross-sectional design, results for 174 temporary workers suggest that relationships with client organisations begin with largely transactional elements. Over time, the contract becomes significantly more relational, especially after the worker has been with the client organisation for six months or more. This relationship is affected by contract violation and organisational support.
African IQ and Mental Retardation
Authors: Kamin Leon J.
Published: March 2013

Rushton and Jensen (2005), in an extensive review of racial differences in intelligence test scores, assert that some part of the difference between blacks and whites in mean intelligence (IQ) scores is genetic in origin. They cite earlier reviews by Lynn (1991) and by Lynn and Vanhanen (2002), as well as several more recent studies, which are said to indicate that the mean IQ of sub-Saharan black Africans is about 70 - at the borderline of mental retardation. The present article reviews critically both the original studies and the ways in which the reviewers have described the findings of the studies.
Spouses' Experiences of Their Partners' Absences Due to Frequent Business Travel
Authors: Stewart Michelle , Donald Fiona M.
Published: March 2013

This study explores spouses' experiences of their partners' absence due to frequent business travel. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with five male and five female participants, all of whom had at least one child living with and dependent on them. The findings indicate that respondents generally do not find their spouses' absence to be inherently stressful. However, negative outcomes were more common than positive ones. Various dynamics operate in the remaining spouses' appraisal of the situation. The main coping resources utilised included work flexibility and social support. Spouses used both problem and emotion-focused coping strategies to cope with their partners' absence. Women in the sample tended to make greater use of coping strategies as well as having more extensive and varied coping repertoires, particularly with respect to emotion-focused coping.
A Review of South African Research in the Field of Dynamic Assessment
Authors: Murphy Raegan , Maree David J. F.
Published: March 2013

Dynamic assessment, and in particular the learning potential approach, are receiving increasing attention from educators and research practitioners worldwide. This article reports on the status of dynamic assessment in South Africa, with particular reference to its use in higher education. A review of local studies and an informal survey of 36 institutions revealed that it is widely recognised that fair selection of students from a variety of different backgrounds requires assessment strategies that focus on future potential in addition to current ability. To this end, a number of South African learning potential instruments have been developed, empirical studies conducted (in most cases with positive results), and selection procedures implemented that make use of dynamic assessment techniques. The development and use of dynamic assessment in South Africa has been limited by misperceptions regarding the nature of dynamic assessment; a lack of a consistent definitions and research approaches; and perceptions regarding high costs of implementation.
The Griffiths Scales of Mental Development: A Factorial Validity Study
Authors: Luiz Dolores M. , Foxcroft Cheryl D. , Povey Jenny-Louise
Published: March 2013

Since the introduction of the Griffiths Scales of Mental Development (Griffiths Scales) to South Africa, extensive research has been conducted in both clinical and educational settings. The measure is currently undergoing revision, with one of the objectives being to explore its psychometric properties, in particular its construct validity. The aim of this study was to examine the underlying dimensions tapped by subscales A, B, C, D, E and F for years 5, 6 and 7. The sample consisted of 180 children between the ages of 48 and 60 months, 60+ and 72 months, and 72+ and 84 months for years 5, 6 and 7 respectively. The variables of gender, cultural group and central nervous system development were controlled for. Underlying factors in each subscale were identified by means of factor analysis. The findings suggest that each subscale taps more than one construct and that constructs differ for the different age groups. This implies that in the revision process subscales for each of the years need to be investigated further with regard to their construct validity.
Perceptions That Patients Diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder Have of Their Families
Authors: Kirsten Doret K. , van Lellyveld Vanessa , Venter Chris A.
Published: March 2013

This study aimed to determine how patients diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) perceive their families. Qualitative research in the form of a multiple case study design and an availability sample, consisting of three white BPD patients, was used. Patients' ages (two males and one female) ranged between 18 and 30 years. Data were obtained by means of semi-structured interviews and the Graphic Family Sculpting Technique. After open, axial and selective coding, five main categories and eight sub-categories emerged. The results indicated redundant communication and interaction patterns to be prominent in families with a BPD patient. Family relationships were perceived as unstable and emotionally intense, marked by ambivalence towards one another, intimacy dysfunctions, abusive interactions, as well as dysfunctional boundaries. Normal family functioning, and the fulfilment of emotional and other needs appeared to have been prevented by reversed and rigid roles, deficient nurturing and support, as well as ineffective communication. The ineffective parental modelling of behaviour control and coping mechanisms seemed to have intensified unstable behaviour patterns, weak personal boundaries, problematic characteristics and poor problem-solving behaviour in the BPD patients. It is concluded that these findings can be therapeutically useful. Patients can reflect upon themselves and their families, and learn about the differences between intimacy and intensity, more effective family roles and personal boundaries, effective communication, as well as constructive behaviour control and coping styles and can therefore be empowered to adjust their behaviour accordingly. Further research involving larger patient samples is needed.
Bias in an Adapted Version of the 15FQ+in South Africa
Authors: Meiring Deon , Van de Vijver Fons J. R. , Rothmann Sebastiaan
Published: March 2013

This study addressed the cross-cultural suitability of an adapted version of the Fifteen Factor Questionnaire (15FQ+) in South Africa. Criteria for changes to the items of the original 15FQ+ included comprehension and cultural appropriateness. The instrument was administered in English to a pool of 16 339 participants from all parts of South Africa who had applied for entry-level police jobs in the South African Police Services (SAPS). Bias was studied at construct and item level. A higher level of overall structural equivalence was reported for the adapted version when compared with results found in research with the original version. However, some scales remain problematic. A slight decrease in the number of biased items was also found for the adapted version and it was concluded that item bias is not a major problem in this version. Despite these results pointing to the apparent adequacy of the adaptations, only marginal increases were found in terms of the internal consistencies when compared to the original version and for the black groups, in particular, consistency levels remained low. These low levels of consistency continue to limit the usefulness of the questionnaire.
The Generation of Hypotheses with Regard to the Influence of Context on Complicated Grief
Authors: Opperman B. , Novello A.
Published: March 2013

This exploratory study examines the influence of context on complicated grief. Attention is drawn to the extent to which complicated grief is influenced by the socio-environ-mental context, the family context and the personal context. Personal context is represented by the relationship of the bereaved to the deceased. An exploratory research approach is adopted. Semi-structured interviews, based on predetermined questions, were conducted with thirteen participants, ranging in age from 26 to 43 years. Being exploratory in nature, the study generated hypotheses on the influence of context on complicated grief. Potential relationships among various dimensions of context and complicated grief are indicated. Some of these include socio-economic aspects, stigma, family relationships, as well as inter and intrapersonal factors. The study highlights the need for a theory of complicated grief, which embraces contextual influences.
The Relationship between Conservatism and Psychological Well-Being in Adolescents
Authors: Pienaar Johannes M. , Beukes Roelf B. I. , Esterhuyse Karel G. F.
Published: March 2013

This study investigated the extent to which adolescents' levels of conservatism, their gender and home language can predict their psychological well-being. Conservatism is described as a social attitude, characterised by an intemalisation of the dominant values of the social environment within which the individual functions. Psychological well-being is described as a state that is characterised by aspects such as a sense of coherence, satisfaction with life, fortitude, coping, hardiness, self-actualisation, potency and psychological resilience. The sample consisted of 1 238 adolescents in the Eastern Cape and Gauteng provinces. Six attitude groupings of conservatism were identified, namely religious fundamentalism, anti-hedonism, conforming attitude towards authority, teenage behaviour, ethnocentrism and insistence on strict rules or punishment. The results of this study indicate that adolescents with high levels of conservatism in terms of religious fundamentalism, anti-hedonism, conforming attitude towards authority and teenage behaviour may also experience high levels of psychological well-being.
Trauma-Related Risk Factors in Mineworkers with PTSD: A Prospective Follow-Up Study
Authors: Stevens J. L. , Calitz F. J. W. , Joubert G. , Gagiano C. A. , Nel M.
Published: March 2013

The aim of this prospective follow-up study was to investigate the role of trauma-related factors in the development of acute and chronic Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) among South African gold mineworkers involved in disabling and reportable earth-fall mine accidents. A consecutive sample of 200 mineworkers who were involved in earth-fall mine accidents was evaluated over a period of seven months. A history of previous trauma exposure was associated with both acute and chronic PTSD. Injury severity predicted acute PTSD but could not differentiate between subjects with acute PTSD that developed chronic PTSD and those whose symptoms went into remission. The intensity and severity of the precipitating earth-fall event were associated with acute and chronic PTSD. Being pinned down by rocks was the earth-fall-related event that predicted chronic PTSD most accurately. The intensity of the traumatic earth-fall event was found to be a more significant predictor for acute PTSD than previous exposure to trauma. Based on these results, recommendations were made to manage trauma in the mining sector.
Off-Space and on the Sidelines: A Reply to Marx and Feltham-King
Authors: Dixon John , Tredoux Colin
Published: March 2013

Marx and Feltham-King offer an insightful critique of the special focus section of the South African Journal of Psychology (SAJP) (volume 35 number 3 2005) on ‘racial’ contact and isolation in everyday life. They note several methodological limitations of the studies presented and point to some potential misinterpretations of the overall message. In this response, we clarify and defend the rationale of the special focus section and acknowledge its limitations. We also argue, however, that Marx and Feltham-King's commentary fails to offer any forward-looking vision of how to develop psychological research on ‘race segregation’ in South Africa. What is required now is a concrete programme of work that advances our knowledge of the issues at the heart of this exchange.