Thesis (M.S.W.)--University of Hong Kong, 1985.

Thesis (M.Ed.(Educational Psychology))-University of Pretoria, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references.

Honors Project--Smith College, Northampton, Mass., 2010. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 58-63).

This study addresses the factors that assist families towards family adaptation during adversities and contribute to family resilience. The study aimed to identify, describe and explore family resilience factors that enable urban Shona Christian families to withstand life crises in the midst of a society facing economic hardships and manage to bounce back from these challenges. The study also sought to reach out to families facing challenges and who are struggling to adapt and recover from their challenges. The Resiliency model of Family Stress, Adjustment and Adaptation was used as a theoretical framework for this study (McCubbin, Thompson & McCubbin, 2001). A quantitative method was employed. A total of 106 participants including parents and adolescents from 53 families independently completed 6 questionnaires including a biographical questionnaire. The questionnaires measured family adaptation and aspects of family functioning in accordance with the Resiliency model of Family Stress, Adjustment and Adaptation. The data collected was subjected to correlation regression analysis which was computed using SPSS to identify family resilience factors that assisted families in family adaptation. The results showed that family adaptation was fostered by first, the family’s internal strengths; affirming and less incendiary communication; passive appraisal; and control over life events and hardships. Secondly, the family’s external strengths; seeking spiritual support; social support from within the community; and mobilising the family to acquire community resources and accept help from others. These findings could be used to develop interventions that promote family resilience and establish the potential of family members within a family when facing adversities. / Psychology / M.A. (Social Science)

This causal-comparative and correlational study examined cross-cultural adaptability of randomly selected licensed dental hygienists, 1995-2005 graduates, practicing in the state of Texas and first and second-year dental hygiene students attending 5 randomly selected accredited 2 and 4-year dental hygiene schools in the state of Texas. A sample of 289 individuals: 194 enrolled students and 95 licensed dental hygienists, alumni of the 5 schools, completed the 50-item Cross-Cultural Adaptability Inventory (CCAI ®) and a brief demographic survey. The purpose of this study was to determine if statistically significant differences existed among and between licensed dental hygienists and first and second-year dental hygiene students in the state of Texas on a cross-cultural adaptability measure. The study also examined relationships among and between cross-cultural adaptability scores, as measured by the CCAI, and several independent variables. The data were analyzed by using the Statistical Package of Social Sciences (SPSS 12). Eight hypotheses related to group differences and relationships among and between groups and variables were tested. The groups were compared on total CCAI scores using a t-test, and on subscale CCAI scores simultaneously using a descriptive discriminant analysis (DDA). A 3X2 MANOVA was used to compare all groups simultaneously on subscale CCAI scores. The sample was also analyzed for statistically significant differences among 3 levels of ethnicity and total CCAI scores using a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). Lastly, various Pearson correlation analyses were conducted to determine relationships among and between the 3 independent variables mentioned above and total and subscale CCAI scores. The results revealed no statistically significant differences among the various groups and CCAI scores. A statistically significant relationship (r = .148) was found between age and 1 of the 4 CCAI subscale scores, flexibility/openness. No other statistically significant relationships were found. The study concluded that number of years for degree, level of practice, ethnicity, and years employed may not play a significant role in enhancing cross-cultural adaptability. Further research needs to be conducted to determine differences and relationships between and among various dental hygiene groups and their cross-cultural adaptability performance.

No description available.

Thesis (Ph.D. (Psychology)) -- University of Limpopo, 2022 / Climate change poses a major threat to both the well-being of people and the environment. Subsistence farmers are particularly affected because they rely on local supply systems that are sensitive to climate variation. The aim of the study was to explore psychological resilience factors associated with climate change adaptation by subsistence farmers in a rural farming community in Maruleng Municipality in Limpopo Province (South Africa). The objectives of the study were to: investigate subsistence farmers' notions of climate change and adaptation; determine the psychological resilience factors influencing the farmers’ adaptation the climate change; determine strategies that the farmers use to cope with climate change; and, based on the farmers’ notions of climate change and adaptation, and the associated resilience factors, develop a psychological explanatory model on climate change adaptation by subsistence farmers. Data were collected through direct interactions with participants using a grounded theory research design. An open-ended interview guide was used to collect data with a sample of 15 participants selected through theoretical sampling within the Maruleng Municipality. The research findings indicate that farmers have limited conceptual knowledge relating to climate change and its causes. The results further indicated that participants have become resilient to climate change through mitigation strategies including mulching, adaptive irrigation techniques and being innovative. From a psychological perspective, the subsistence farmers’ resilience factors that emerged included passion for farming, hope, enthusiasm, courage, acceptance or tolerance, livelihood and a coherent belief system. Based on the findings of the study, a psychological explanatory model in climate change adaptation by subsistence farmers was developed. The explanatory model suggests that resilience factors are influenced by notions and adaptations of climate change. The study is concluded by, among others, recommending that counseling services be made available to farmers to help them deal with the stress associated with the negative impact of climate change.

Thèse numérisée par la Direction des bibliothèques de l'Université de Montréal.

Algorithms for repeated (or “online”) decision-making are predominantly studied under the assumption that feedback is either statistical (determined by fixed probability distributions) or adversarial (changing over time in a potentially worst-case manner). Both of these assumptions ignore a phenomenon commonly present in repeated interactions with other agents, in which the space of our possible future outcomes is shaped in a structured and potentially predictable manner by our history of prior decisions. In this thesis, we consider online decision problems where the feedback model is adaptive rather than purely statistical or adversarial. One such example is a repeated game played against an opponent who uses a learning algorithm of their own; here, we give a characterization of possible outcome spaces which unifies disparate equilibrium notions, and serves as a basis for designing new algorithms. We then consider the task of providing recommendations to an agent whose preferences adapt based on the recommendation history, where we explore algorithmic tradeoffs in terms of the structure of this adaptivity pattern. We conclude by offering a general framework and algorithmic toolkit for approaching adaptive problems of this form.

Psychology / M.A. (Clinical Psychology)