Die verband tussen konserwatisme en kognitiewe buigsaamheid by Suid-Afrikaanse adolessente

Abstract

English: The recent democratisation of South Africa has led to many changes in the political, economic and social systems. Consequently adolescents, as members of society, find themselves in a context of change and adjustment. As individuals’ levels of conservatism and cognitive flexibility may influence their ability to cope with changing circumstances, the goal of this study was to determine the relationship between conservatism and cognitive flexibility in adolescents. The influence of gender and culture on that relationship was also to be determined. The relevant variables were cognitive flexibility and conservatism. Six attitude groupings of conservatism were identified, namely: religious fundamentalism, anti-hedonism, a conformist attitude towards authority, teenage behaviour, ethnocentrism and an insistence on strict rules and punishment. The results of the study indicated that adolescents with high levels of cognitive flexibility exhibit higher levels of conservatism in terms of religious fundamentalism, ethnocentrism, teenage behaviour and an insistence on strict rules and punishment.

Afrikaans: Die onlangse demokratisering van Suid-Afrika het tot gevolg gehad dat verskeie veranderinge aan die politieke, ekonomiese en sosiale sisteme aangebring is. Gevolglik bevind adolessente, as lede van die gemeenskap, hulle binne ’n konteks van verandering en aanpassing. Aangesien individue se mate van konserwatisme en kognitiewe buigsaamheid moontlik ’n invloed op hul hantering van veranderde omstandighede kan uitoefen, was die doel van hierdie studie om die verband tussen konserwatisme en kognitiewe buigsaamheid by adolessente te ondersoek en om die rol van geslag en kultuur in hierdie verband te bepaal. Die tersaaklike veranderlikes was kognitiewe buigsaamheid en konserwatisme. Laasgenoemde konstruk is in ses houdingsgroeperinge, naamlik godsdienstige fundamentalisme, etnosentrisme, anti-hedonisme, tienergedrag, konformerende houding teenoor outoriteit en aandrang op streng reëls en strawwe onderverdeel. Vanuit die resultate is bevind dat adolessente wat hoë vlakke van kognitiewe buigsaamheid toon, ook hoë vlakke van konserwatisme, rakendegodsdienstige fundamentalisme, etnosentrisme, tienergedrag en aandrang op streng reëls en strawwe openbaar.