'n Psigo-opvoedkundige ondersoek na neuro-linguïstiese programmering as psigoterapeutiese model

English: In article 1 the historical overview of the development of the NLP model brought to the light that two psychologists, Richard Bandier and John Grinder, initiated the NLP model. They mainly modelled the most effective patterns of three experts in psychology. The NLP model was composed of these and was used initially in psycho-therapy with children and adults. The application possibilities of the NLP model, however, were expanded to a variety of fields, including education. From a psycho-educational point of view it seems as if NLP can be used to help children on their way to adulthood. Although it seems as if the NLP model does have relevance in psycho-education, the extent of the relevance still has to be determined. In Article 2 a perspective is given on the most important NLP concepts and presuppositions, and thus the focus is on its application value for children. In terms of the NLP model it was found that as every child (as well as every adult) has a unique model of the world, a profound understanding of the way in which children create images of the world will be to the advantage of each psychologist/teacher in order to understand the child better. Children have representational systems by means of which information is processed mainly visually, auditively and kinaesthetically. Although children normally have a primary representational system, they have to be guided to develop access to all their representational systems. Thus they will be able to communicate with more ease with others and to master the different learning areas in school. However, it has also been found that researchers question the validity of some of the NLP concepts. Article 3 offers a psycho-educational investigation of the most important NLP skills and techniques. NLP techniques can be divided into NLP communication techniques and NLP esoteric techniques. The researcher came to the conclusion that the NLP esoteric techniques seem to be totally unacceptable in application to children, especially from a Christian point of view, as they may result in children coming into contact with occult activities. A spiritual imbalance in the child's personality and a concomitant disturbed personality may result from being exposed to these techniques. Although NLP communication techniques in some cases may be regarded as manipulative, it does seem that these techniques, with re-interpretation, may render positive results in Christian therapy and schools. In Article 4 it is related that an empirical study has found that South African psychologists are still relatively uninformed of NLP as psycho-therapeutic model. It has also been found that a small percentage of respondents use NLP techniques specifically in therapy with children. Some of the psychologists were of the opinion that some of the NLP techniques may influence children negatively. As South African educational psychologists specifically, but also psychologists in general, still have a lack of knowledge ofNLP, the conclusion may be reached that South African training institutions do not really introduce psychologists to alternative psycho-therapeutic models. The question also arises as to whether NLP is not rather being used, in South Africa, in fields outside the therapeutic context, like education. In Article 5 the critical evaluation of the NLP model led to the finding that there are similarities between the philosophies ofNLP and the New Age movement. The fact that this model according to its origin is humanistic in nature, which entails that people are seen as central and able to redeem themselves, is totally unacceptable to the Christian psychoeducationist. Furthermore, the fact that many researchers question the validity of the NLP model, leads to the conclusion that the NLP model, as a whole, should be dealt with circumspectly. A need exists for justifiable scientific research on the NLP model. Before this need has not been satisfied satisfactorily from a Christian perspective, the NLP model cannot be used in the South African psycho-educational context with absolute safety.