Masters Degrees (Psychology)
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Browsing Masters Degrees (Psychology) by Author "Beangstom, Natasha Lynne"
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Item Open Access The role of leisure engagement in the relationship between coping and psychological well-being among adolescents(University of the Free State, 2016-12) Beangstom, Natasha Lynne; Naidoo, P.English: Adolescence is a dynamic life phase, universally accepted as a transitional period hallmarked by rapid physical development, as well as dramatic cognitive, emotional, and psychosocial changes. Moreover, South African adolescents are still faced with various obstacles due to an uncertain and diverse post-apartheid society. Given the vast amounts of stressors that South African adolescents encounter daily, it is necessary to explore whether these adolescents might benefit from engaging in leisure activities that may aid in coping as well as contribute towards higher levels of psychological well-being. Furthermore, there is a paucity of research regarding the use of leisure as a coping strategy within the South African adolescent population. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to further our understanding of the role of leisure in coping and adolescent psychological well-being. The current study thus aimed to determine if leisure engagement, particularly as a coping strategy, could moderate the relationship between coping and psychological well-being amongst adolescents in the Northern Cape Province of South Africa. In order to achieve the goal of this study, a quantitative, non-experimental, cross-sectional research design was employed. Permission was granted by the Northern Cape Department of Education to conduct the data collection at schools within the Northern Cape Province. Participants were selected from three schools in the province by means of non-probability, convenience sampling and consisted of 228 learners (112 males and 116 females) from Grades 10 to 12. Participating adolescents were between the ages of 14 and 19 years, with a mean age of 16.26. A self-report battery consisting of a biographical questionnaire, the Brief Coping Orientations to the Problem Experienced Questionnaire (Brief COPE), the Leisure Coping Strategy Scale, and Ryff’s Scale of Psychological Well-Being was used to obtain valuable data. This study endeavoured to supplement existing research in positive psychology by aiming to demonstrate the specific representation of the constructs of coping, leisure, and psychological well-being in the lives of the South African adolescent population. For this purpose, these positive psychology constructs were measured amongst a sample of South African adolescents. The Pearson product-moment correlation, hierarchical multiple regressions, as well as moderated multiple regressions were run to measure these constructs and subsequently answer the research questions. The study confirmed statistically significant relationships between three coping strategy categories and adolescent psychological well-being, as well as between leisure as a coping strategy and adolescent psychological well-being. Gender, and leisure engagement, however, were not found to be statistically significant moderators in the relationship between coping and adolescent psychological well-being. The current findings underscore the importance of leisure engagement, particularly leisure as a coping strategy, during the crucial life phase of adolescence. Further evidence has also been provided to suggest that positive leisure experiences and specific types of leisure activities not only help adolescents to cope with various stresses, but also contribute towards higher levels of psychological well-being. Finally, these findings highlight the importance of examining coping, leisure, and psychological well-being as multidimensional constructs within the South African context.