Masters Degrees (Psychology)
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Browsing Masters Degrees (Psychology) by Advisor "Botha, A."
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Item Open Access Identity development of black students during the first year(University of the Free State, 2015-12-15) Liversage, Lindi; Naudé, L.; Botha, A.English: In this study, black first-generation students’ experiences related to identity development during their first year at a higher education institution were explored. Students who are the first in their family to attend higher education embark on a life-changing journey like neither they nor anyone in their family have experienced. These students’ higher education experiences have the potential to shape their lives and identities. Theorists use student development theories to understand and describe the unique development trajectories students, a subgroup of individuals forming part of the population of emerging adults, experience during their time at university. This study is based on the theoretical framework of Arthur Chickering’s student development theory. Chickering determines that students move through seven vectors during their time at university. The seven vectors include developing competence, managing emotions, moving through autonomy to interdependence, developing mature interpersonal relationships, establishing an identity, developing purpose, and developing integrity. This qualitative research study followed a case study approach embedded in an interpretive paradigm. Purposive sampling and snowball sampling were used to select black, first-generation students from the University of the Free State. Ten participants took part in focus group discussions and individual interviews, where they had the opportunity to reflect on their first-year experiences related to their identities. The data were analysed by using thematic analysis, reconstructing participants’ experiences into main and subthemes. The following six main themes emerged: “My emotional reaction when confronted with the challenge of higher education”; “My people at home”; “My social networking on campus”; “Being exposed to a diverse student population”; “Becoming independent”; and “Getting to know myself”. A significant factor in black first-generation students’ identity development appears to be the influence of other individuals on their development. Black first-generation students’ ability to remain connected at home while forming new social connections on campus enabled them to feel safe in their exploration of new worldviews, relationships, and occupational considerations. Black first-generation students’ unique progression in vector attainment confirms the importance of research on the application of Chickering’s theory in a more diverse higher education environment.Item Open Access Measuring social dominance orientation amongst entering first-year students at a higher education institution in the Free State(University of the Free State, 2010-04) Oudshoorn, Willem; Mentz, M.; Botha, A.English: Entering first-year students at a higher education institution were used to measure levels of social dominance orientation (SDO). The aim of this study was to investigate the differences in SDO for various demographic groups. Statistical significance was found for race and gender’s influence on SDO, but residence had no statistical significant influence on levels of SDO. In this study significant differences for the main effects of race and gender, as well as the interaction between race and gender in terms of SDO were found. According to the results found in this study, Whites are still the perceived higher social status group compared to the other racial groups.Item Open Access 'n Vergelyking van veerkragtige en nie-veerkragtige adolessente ten opsigte van beskermende faktore(University of the Free State, 2015-08) Schlebusch, Bianca; Botha, A.English: South African middle-adolescents are confronted daily with developmental and environmental challenges as well as risk factors. Consequently, there is a need for the empowerment and development of resiliency amongst adolescents in South Africa in order to design more suitable interventions. Resilience is conceptualised from a normal developmental perspective as a sense of mastery and relatedness (both suggesting resilience) and emotional reactivity (suggesting vulnerability). The aggregation of these three components creates a resilience profile which reflects the adolescent’s unique strengths and weaknesses. A number of studies indicate that protective factors, both assets and resources, contribute to resilience. The aim of this study was to determine how male and female middle-adolescents with various resiliency profiles differ from one another with regard to protective factors. The different groups were compared in respect of five protective factors, namely intrapersonal, interpersonal and affective strengths, school functioning and family involvement. This study was quantitative and non-experimental and followed a criterion group design. The sample consisted of 973 Grade 10 learners, selected from each of the five districts in the Free State. The measuring instruments included a biographical questionnaire, Epstein and Sharma’s (1998) Behavioural and Emotional Rating Scale (BERS) and Prince-Embury’s (2007) Resiliency Scales for Children and Adolescents (RSCA). The results from the study indicate two important findings. First, it was found that both male and female participants scored low with regard to resilience and strengths. Secondly, a significant difference was found between the various groups with regard to the level of strengths that they use. It was shown, for instance, that groups that reported higher levels of resiliency tended to show lower levels of strengths. Consequently, the results are both surprising and worrying and lead to the following question: from which sources do adolescents draw in order to achieve resilience? The study revealed a clear need for more relevant research and measuring instruments in the South African context in order to effectively measure and comprehend these constructs.Item Open Access Race as a moderator in the relationship between trauma exposure and resilience among South African adolescents(University of the Free State, 2015-10) Stone, La-Toya; Botha, A.English: Resilience and trauma exposure are well researched topics. There is extensive knowledge about the nature of traumatic events that adolescents are exposed to, as well as how they have coped with these experiences. The role of race in the relationship between these two variables is not extensively researched and little is known about the exact influences it could or could not have on resilience. With South Africa’s tainted past and the aftermath of the apartheid era, it is difficult to separate racial influences in both resilience and trauma exposure. In turn, race can seldom be separated from culture, and this has further influences on how individuals execute certain tasks or relate to situations. Racial influence is therefore an important area to research if differences in resilience exist among South African citizens, and especially adolescents. The results obtained from this study can therefore be used to add a new perspective to an already rich literature on resilience. The aim of the study was to investigate the moderating influence of racial membership in trauma exposure and resilience among 862 South African adolescents. A non-experimental correlational design was used to describe the relationship between the variables. Correlational studies were further used to determine the extent to which the variables were related. The measuring instruments consisted of a biographical questionnaire, a shortened version of the Stressful Life Events Questionnaire (SLESQ) and the Resiliency Scales for Children and Adolescents (RSCA). The role of racial membership in the relationship between trauma exposure and resilience was investigated using a moderated hierarchical regression analysis. Results from the study indicated that race did not exert a statistically significant moderator effect in the relationship between trauma exposure and resilience among adolescents. The interaction term was therefore dropped from the model and further investigation revealed that there was a statistically significant relationship between race and resilience, after the effects of trauma exposure were taken into account. The white participants in the study had statistically significantly higher levels of resilience compared to the black participants.Item Open Access The role of demographic variables in the relationship between coping self-efficacy, perceived social support and subject well-being in first-year students(University of the Free State, 2014-11) Wiggill, Danene; Botha, A.; Van Dijk, M.English: Students experience many difficulties and life challenges during the transition from high school to university. An indicator of positive adjustment during such a transition is subjective well-being. Individual and social resources contribute to individuals' subjective well-being. In addition, demographic variables, such as gender, contribute to differences experienced in this area. Coping self-efficacy, which previously was identified as playing a role in general well-being, can be considered an individual resource associated with well-being. However, no South African study currently confirms the role of coping self-efficacy in subjective well-being. Perceived social support is a social resource that has been associated positively with subjective well-being. However, relocating away from supportive social structures such as relatives and friends can affect perceived social support and has indeed been found to increase students’ adjustment difficulties. To date, research on the factors affecting the subjective well-being of South African students who relocate to new cities to further their studies has been lacking. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the role of gender and relocation in the relationship between coping self-efficacy, perceived social support, and subjective well-being among first-year students at the University of the Free State. A quantitative, non-experimental, correlational design was used in this study. The measuring instruments included a biographical questionnaire, the Satisfaction with Life Scale, the Affectometer 2 (short version), the Coping Self-efficacy Scale, and the Perceived Social Support Scale. The role of gender, relocation, coping self-efficacy, and perceived social support from family and friends was investigated by using a hierarchical regression analysis. Results from the study indicate that only coping self-efficacy and perceived social support from family play a statistically significant role in subjective well-being. Gender and relocation do not play a statistically significant role in subjective well-being. These findings emphasise the importance of further research on subjective well-being in first-year students in the South African context.Item Open Access The role of resilience in the relationship between exposure to trauma and suicide ideation(University of the Free State, 2017) Venter, Nico; Botha, A.; George, A. A.English: The relationship between exposure to trauma and suicide ideation has been established in literature. It is thus important to gain a better understanding of the factors than can buffer the negative outcomes of trauma exposures. Resilience is deemed to play a role in this regard and the aim of this study was to determine if resilience moderates the relationship between trauma exposure and suicide ideation. A total of 1001 adolescent participants from various schools across the Free State province participated in the study, with ages ranging from 14 to 16 years. A quantitative, correlational, non-experimental design was used. A hierarchical regression analysis was conducted to determine the role of resilience in the relationship between trauma exposure and suicide ideation. The results indicated that resilience does indeed moderate the relationship between trauma exposure and suicide ideation. Individuals with lower resilience score higher on suicide ideation. In contrast, individuals with high resilience revealed significantly lower scores on suicide ideation. These results can aid therapists in assisting clients to deal with trauma by focusing on the strengthening of their resilience.Item Open Access School environment as moderator in the relationship between school engagement, coping and resilience among South African adolescents(University of the Free State, 2015-08-31) Jacobs, Petrus Jakobus; Botha, A.; Taylor, H.English: Adolescents are exposed to a variety of developmental and social challenges on a daily basis. Those who find it difficult to cope with these demands tend to present with behavioural and psychological problems. The school environment, which is a major socialising setting, appears to play an important role in the psychological well-being of adolescents. Unfortunately the school environment appears to be a risk factor for South African adolescents. Furthermore, inequalities in education across urban and rural schools are strongly apparent. Adolescents need to be resilient in order to face these challenges. Both school engagement and coping were found to contribute to resilience amongst adolescents. The aim of the study was therefore to investigate the moderating role of school environment in the relationship between school functioning, coping and resilience among adolescents. A quantitative, non-experimental, correlational design was implemented. A total of 790 learners (N=790) who participated in a larger research project conducted in 2010 was used in the study, with a mean age of 13.87 years (SD=0.613).The following measuring instruments were used: a biographical questionnaire; the Behavioural and Emotional Rating Scale (BERS- 2); the Coping Schema Inventory (R-CSI); and the Resiliency Scales for Children and Adolescents (RSCA). The data was analysed by means of a hierarchical multiple regression analysis. The results indicated that school environment plays a significant moderating role in the relationship between problem-focused coping and resilience, as well as between emotionfocused coping and resilience. A significant positive relationship was found between problemfocused coping and resilience in both urban and rural school environments. Emotion-focused coping has a significant negative relationship with resilience in urban school environments. Even though school environment did not play a significant moderating role in the relationship between school functioning and resilience, a significant main effect was found for school functioning as related to resilience. These findings emphasise the importance of further research in terms of coping and school engagement to promote resilience among South African adolescents. It is also evident that greater insight and knowledge are needed with regards to the moderating role of school environment when considering the relationship between school engagement, coping and resilience amongst adolescents.Item Open Access Substance abuse and psychological strengths as predictors of coping amongst adolescents(University of the Free State, 2015-08) Barnes, Monique; Botha, A.; Naidoo, P.English: Adolescence is a period of significant physical, cognitive and socio-emotional changes. In addition, South African adolescents are exposed to a variety of environmental stressors daily. These stressors include poverty, conflict within the family, and inequality in schooling environments. Furthermore, the lack of resources within the South African context increases stress. Coping effectively with these stressors is, therefore, imperative for South African adolescents’ well-being. Adolescents who lack adequate coping strategies are at risk for psychological and behavioural problems. Both substance abuse as a risk factor and psychological strengths as protective factors might influence an individual’s ability to cope. The aim of this study was, therefore, to investigate the variance in coping, caused by substance abuse and psychological strengths, amongst adolescents in the Free State. The role of gender on this relationship was also investigated. A quantitative, non-experimental, correlational design was used in this study. The measuring instruments included a biographical questionnaire, the Behavioural and Emotional Rating Scale (BERS 2) and the Coping Schema Inventory (R-CSI). The data were analysed by conducting a multivariate regression analysis. The results indicated that psychological strengths have a significant influence on adolescent coping. School engagement specifically relates to an increase in coping abilities amongst adolescents. Substance abuse, however, influenced only religious coping. Significant gender differences were reported for only religious coping. Furthermore, the results indicated low levels of psychological strengths and coping abilities for the adolescents in the Free State. These findings emphasise the importance of further research on the topic of adolescent coping and psychological strengths within the South African context, because it is evident that more knowledge and insight into the process of coping amongst adolescents is needed.