Die verband tussen konserwatisme en psigologiese welstand by adolessente

Abstract

English: The primary goal of this study was to investigate the relationship between conservatism and psychological well-being in adolescents. Conservatism is described as a social attitude, characterised by an internalisation of the dominant values of the social environment in which the individual functions, and which directs the individual's behaviour in accordance with the expectations of society. 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. Numerous developmental tasks applicable to adolescents were identified. It was demonstrated that the successful completion of these developmental tasks may have a positive effect on the psychological well-being of adolescents. Numerous risk factors, which may negatively influence the completion of the above-mentioned developmental tasks and therefore the psychological well-being of adolescents, were identified within the South African context. The influence of conservatism on the above-mentioned development tasks and the handling of risk factors were theoretically indicated as predominantly positive. The research sample of this study consisted of 1238 adolescents. The cluster sampling method was used to identify six schools in the Eastern Cape province and five schools in the Gauteng province. The Grade 12-students of these schools were approached to complete the relevant questionnaires. For the purpose of this study The Satisfaction With Life Scale (Diener, Emmons, Larsen & Griffin, 1985), The Fortitude Questionnaire (Pretorius, 1977) and The Sense of Coherence Scale (Antonovsky, 1987) were used to determine the level of psychological well-being of the research sample. The level of conservatism of the research sample was determined by administering an adapted version of The Conservatism Scale of Wilson and Patterson (1970). Six attitude groupings of conservatism were identified for adolescents, namely: religious fundamentalism, anti-hedonism, conforming attitude towards authority, teenage behaviour, ethnocentrism and insistence on strict rules/punishment. The Afrikaans-speaking adolescents in the study generally exhibited higher levels of conservatism than the English- and African language-speaking adolescents. Adolescent boys were more conservative regarding ethnocentrism, while the girls were more conservative regarding religious fundamentalism, anti-hedonism and teenage behaviour. Religious fundamentalism and anti-hedonism made significant statistical contributions to the explanation of the variances for all three factors of psychological well-being (sense of coherence, satisfaction with life, fortitude). The conservatism component, conforming attitude towards authority, made significant statistical contributions to the explanation of the variances for fortitude and sense of coherence, Teenage behaviour made a significant statistical contribution to the explanation of the variance for satisfaction with life. Ethnocentrism showed a negative relationship to all three factors of psychological wellbeing. The biographical variable gender made significant statistical contributions to the explanation of the variances for all three factors of psychological well-being (sense of coherence, satisfaction with life, fortitude). Language grouping did not make any significant statistical contribution to the explanation of the variances for any of the factors of psychological well-being. The results of this study indicate that adolescents with high levels of conservatism regarding religious fundamentalism, anti-hedonism, conforming attitude towards authority and teenage behaviour may also experience high levels of psychological well-being. The results further indicate that adolescents who exhibit high levels of conservatism regarding ethnocentrism may be inclined to experience low levels of psychological well-being. Certain recommendations for further research were also suggested. A Conservatism Scale for Adolescents was provisionally compiled, which could be standardised through further research.

Afrikaans: Die primêre doel van hierdie studie was om die verband tussen konserwatisme en psigologiese welstand by adolessente te ondersoek. Konserwatisme is beskryf as 'n sosiale houding, wat gekenmerk word deur die internalisering van die dominante waardes van die sosiale omgewing waarin 'n persoon funksioneer en wat sy/haar gedrag in ooreenstemming met samelewingsverwagtinge rig. Psigologiese welstand word beskryf as 'n staat of toestand wat gekenmerk word deur aspekte soos koherensiesin, lewenstevredenheid, fortaliteit, coping, gehardheid, selfaktualisering, potensie en psigologiese weerbaarheid. Verskeie ontwikkelingstake is by adolessente geïdentifiseer. Dit word aangetoon dat die suksesvolle afhandeling van hierdie ontwikkelingstake positief tot adolessente se psigologiese welstand kan bydra. Verskeie risikofaktore is in die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks geïdentifiseer, wat die suksesvolle afhandeling van bogenoemde ontwikkelingstake en dus ook die psigologiese welstand van adolessente negatief kan beïnvloed. Konserwatisme se invloed op bogenoemde ontwikkelingstake en die hantering van risikofaktore is teoreties as oorwegend positief aangedui. Die ondersoekgroep van hierdie studie het bestaan uit 1238 adolessente. Daar is van die trossteekproeftrekkingsmetode gebruik gemaak om ses skole in die Oos-Kaap-provinsie en vyf skole in die Gauteng-provinsie te identifiseer, wat aan die navorsing sou meedoen. Die Graad 12-leerders van hierdie skole is genader om vraelyste te voltooi. Vir die doel van hierdie navorsing is psigologiese welstand vasgestel deur die toepassing van die volgende vraelyste: Die Lewenstevredenheidskaal van Diener, Emmons, Larsen en Griffin (1985), die Fortaliteitvraelys van Pretorius (1997) en die Lewensoriëntasieskaal van Antonovsky (1987). Die vlak van konserwatisme van die ondersoekgroep is bepaal deur die toepassing van 'n aangepaste weergawe van die Konserwatismeskaal van Wilson en Patterson (1970). Ses houdingsgroeperinge van konserwatisme is by adolessente geïdentifiseer, naamlik: godsdienstige fundamentalisme, anti-hedonisme, konformerende houding teenoor outoriteit, etnosentrisme en aandrang op streng reëls/strawwe. Die Afrikaanssprekende adolessente in die ondersoekgroep het oor die algemeen hoër vlakke van konserwatisme as die Engels- en Afrikataalsprekende adolessente getoon. Adolessente seuns was meer konserwatief ten opsigte van etnosentrisme, terwyl dogters meer konserwatief was ten opsigte van godsdienstige fundamentalisme, anti-hedonisme en tienergedrag. Godsdienstige fundamentalisme en anti-hedonisme het statisties beduidende bydraes tot die verklaring van die variansie vir al drie psigologiese welstandsfaktore (lewenstevredenheid, fortaliteit en koherensiesin) gelewer. Die konserwatismekomponent, houding teenoor outoriteit, het 'n statisties beduidende bydrae tot die verklaring van die variansie vir fortaliteit en koherensiesin gelewer. Tienergedrag het statisties beduidende bydraes tot die verklaring van die variansie vir lewenstevredenheid gelewer. Etnosentrisme het 'n negatiewe verband met al drie die psigologiese welstandsfaktore getoon. Die biografiese veranderlike geslag het statisties beduidende bydraes tot die verklaring van die variansie vir al drie die psigologiese welstandsfaktore (koherensiesin, lewenstevredenheid en fo rtalite it) gelewer. Taalgroepering het nie 'n statisties beduidende bydrae tot die verklaring van die variansie vir enige van die drie psigologiese welstandsfaktore gelewer nie. Die resultate van hierdie studie toon aan dat adolessente wat hoë vlakke van konserwatisme rakende godsdienstige fundamentalisme, anti-hedonisme, konformerende houding teenoor outoriteit en tienergedrag openbaar, ook hoë vlakke van psigologiese welstand kan ervaar. Verder toon die resultate dat adolessente wat hoë vlakke van konserwatisme rakende etnosentrisme openbaar, geneig sal wees om laer vlakke van psigologiese welstand te ervaar. Voorstelle vir verdere navorsing word gemaak, terwyl 'n Konserwatismeskaal vir Adolessente, wat ook deur verdere navorsing gestandaardiseer kan word, voorlopig saamgestel is.