A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Arts, University of the Witwatersrand, in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Master of Arts / The study reviews the literature concerning mild head injury and post concussion symptoms. It then investigates the applicability of international findings to South African patients. Three groups of subjects are compared: mildly injured, noninjured, and instructed malingerers. The study establishes base rates of postconcussive symptoms in the noninjured subjects, scores on tests of cognitive ability among the noninjured subjects, expectations regarding postconcussive sequelae among the noninjured subjects, the perceptions of injured subjects of their preand postmorbid status, and relationships between subjectively experienced symptoms and cognitive deficits am.ong injured subjects. Injured subgroups are examined to investigate pre-, peri-, and post-injury factors associated with development of postconcussive complaints. No differences in cognitive performance were found between the injured and noninjured groups. Time since injury did not affect cognitive performance, apart from on a copy task. It was found that injured subjects reported lower pre-injury levels of incidence of symptoms than those reported by noninjured subjects. No differences were found between post-injury reporting of postconcussive complaints and those symptoms reported by noninjured controls. Some postconcussive symptoms were nevertheless found to correlate with certain measures of cognitive performance. Instructed malingerers responded differently noninjured injured and not injured subjects, reporting fewer pre-injury complaints and mere post-injury complaints. They also performed more poorly on several cognitive measures. Test scores that effectively identified malingerers were then re-examined, and cut-off rates suggested for differentiating malingerers from genuinely injured subjects. / Andrew Chakane 2018

Summary in Afrikaans and English / Against the background of the volume of Third Party Claims instituted annually and considering the cost involved therein, it has become increasingly important that Industrial Psychologists be consulted to assist in the quantifying of such claims. From an Industrial Psychologist's view, these claims can be quantified by making use of certain Industrial Psychology techniques. These techniques include psychometrical evaluation, applying the knowledge on:- training, job analysis, interviewing and guidance, career planning and ergonomics. The purpose of this study was to liaise with the Legal Profession to identify the requirements and problem areas experienced in the establishing and quantifying of Third Party Insurance Claims. The needs thus identified served as the basis for this study. In the process of defining and categorising these problems, it became apparent that these requirements could be addressed satisfactorily by Industrial Psychologists. It was therefore possible also to determine whether Industrial Psychology as a Science, could contribute to solving these problems. To determine therefore whether Industrial Psychology could actually address and solve these problems and whether the Courts would recognise the contribution of Industrial Psychologists, an actual case study was made of a matter where two Industrial Psychologists had made evaluations. Researching the methods of evaluations employed, and viewing the finding of the Court thereafter, it became apparent that Industrial Psychology can satisfy the need encountered by the legal profession therein. It is further concluded that the curriculum of Industrial Psychology may be successfully applied as an accepted Science in the quantifying of Third Party Insurance Claims. / Teen die agtergrond van die hoeveelheid derdepartyeise wat jaarliks ingedien word, met inagneming van die koste verbonde, word dit toenemend belangrik dat bedryfsielkunde behulpsaam moet wees met die kwantifisering van sulke eise. Vanuit 'n bedryfsielkundige oogpunt kan hierdie eise gekwantifiseer word deur gebruik te maak van sekere bedryfsielkundige tegnieke. Hierdie tegnieke sluit in, psigometriese evaluering, kennis oor opleiding, posontleding, onderhoudvoering en voorligting, loopbaanbeplanning en ergonomika. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M. Com. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)