Thesis (M.A.) - University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2009. / Full text also available online. Scroll down for electronic link.

Thesis advisor: John Westefeld. Includes bibliographic references (p. 113-122).

Thesis (M.A.)--The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, 2009. / Directed by Susan Calkins; submitted to the Dept. of Psychology. Title from PDF t.p. (viewed May 7, 2010). Includes bibliographical references (p. 46-59).

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The purpose of this study is to determine the problems of adjustment of the mentally retarded child as compared with the problems of adjustment of the normal child.

The problem in this study is to show the possible relationship between improved physical skills and the total adjustment of boys at the junior high school level. A limited number of boys selected from the seventh and eighth grades who were without adequate physical skills were given special assistance for improving such skills, and a record was kept of the procedure and possible results of this instructional program.

Although fear is an integral part of normal human functioning, it is important to obtain knowledge of children’s normative fear and defence mechanism in order for parents and caregivers to understand and contribute towards mediating potentially stressful experiences of children in their care. This combined qualitative and quantitative study aimed to identify a dominant defence mechanism for children in their middle childhood in dealing with fear. In order to reach the aim of this study a conceptual framework was done exploring terms central to this study including: development in middle childhood, fear, coping mechanisms and defence mechanisms. Miller and Dollard’s learning theory as a theoretical perspective was applied to the study. Interviews were conducted with eleven children in the southern suburbs of Cape Town. The data was analyzed and several findings were identified and explored. Implications, limitations as well as suggestions are part of the concluding chapter of the report. / Sociology / M. Diac. (Play Therapy)

This study explored the relationship between characteristics of children's families and their social adjustment and how extra-familial connections affect this relationship. According to human ecological theory, children who are in jeopardy through higher-risk family systems and other social forces were expected to be protected from sociocultural risks by social connections in such settings as school, church, kin groups, and neighborhood.

This study was designed to determine the effectiveness of individual child-centered play therapy in the elementary school in: 1) enhancing the self-concept of kindergarten children who are experiencing adjustment difficulties; 2) decreasing the overall behavioral problems of kindergarten children experiencing adjustment difficulties 3) decreasing externalizing behavior problems such as aggression and delinquency of kindergarten children experiencing adjustment difficulties; 4) decreasing the internalizing behavior problems such as withdrawal, somatic complaints, anxiety and depression of kindergarten children experiencing adjustment difficulties; 5) increasing parental perception of change in the problematic behaviors of kindergarten children experiencing adjustment difficulties; and 6) enhancing self-control in kindergarten children experiencing adjustment difficulties. A secondary objective was to compare the participants involved in individual child-centered play therapy with participants in a previous study who were involved in child-centered group play therapy on the above named dimensions. The experimental group, consisting of 14 kindergarten children experiencing adjustment difficulties, received 10-12, 30-minute individual play therapy sessions in a 12 week period in their elementary school. The comparison group, utilized from the 1999 McGuire study, consisted of 15 children with adjustment problems and received 12-14, 45-minute group play therapy sessions in 14 weeks in their elementary school. The control group, consisting of 13 children experiencing adjustment problems, received no play therapy intervention over a 12 week period. An Analysis of Covariance revealed significant findings in 1 of the 6 hypotheses and one subscale hypothesis examining the effectiveness of individual play therapy versus the wait list control group. Specifically, children with adjustment problems in the experimental group exhibited a significant reduction in total behavior problems and a significant reduction in externalizing behavior problems as measured by the Child Behavior Checklist-Parent Form (CBCL). Additionally, an Analysis of Covariance revealed significant findings in 1 of the 6 hypotheses examining the comparison of the effectiveness of individual play therapy versus the group play therapy comparison group from McGuire (1999). Individual play therapy was significantly more effective than group play therapy in helping children maintain an acceptable level of classroom behaviors as perceived by teachers on the Early Childhood Behavior Scale (ECBS).