Thesis (MA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2000. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The primary aim of this research project was to determine the relationship between the way students experience family and personal coherence and the extent to which students used potential sources of support. A secondary aim was to determine the relationship between the way the students and their parents experience the type of coping strategies used by the family during crisis situations. A Biographical questionnaire, Use of Resources Questionnaire, Orientation to Life Questionnaire (OLQ), Family Sense of Coherence Scale (FSOC) and the Family Crisis Oriented Personal Evaluation Scale (F-COPES) were completed by 145 first-year students at the University of Stellenbosch. Only the FSOC and the F-COPES scales were completed by parents. The results show that there is a significant positive relationship between the way students experience family and personal coherence and the importance of using sources of support. It was found that female students have a stronger sense of family coherence than male students. Significant differences were found between the experience of students and their parents of the type of coping strategies used by the family during crisis situations. Significant differences were found specifically between the way students and their parents experience obtaining social support, mobilising the family to get and accept help and the passive appraisal of a problem. The results of the research have important implications for the development and implementation of support groups and also social and life skills programmes at secondary and tertiary training establishments. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die hoofdoelstelling van hierdie ondersoek was om die verband te bepaal tussen studente se belewing van gesins- en persoonlike koherensie en die mate waarin studente potensiële ondersteuningsbronne benut het. 'n Sekondêre doelstelling was om die verband tussen die studente en hulouers se belewing van die tipe hanteringstrategieë wat deur die gesin tydens krisissituasies gebruik word, te bepaal. 'n Biografiese vraelys, Benutting van bronne vraelys, Lewensoriënteringsvraelys (Orientation to life Questionnaire (OLQ)), Gesinskoherensieskaal (Family Sense of Coherence Scale (FSOC)) en 'n Gesinskrisisgeoriënteerde Persoonlike Evaluasieskaal (Family Crisis Oriented Personal Evaluation Scale (F-COPES)) is voltooi deur 145 eerstejaarstudente aan die Universiteit van Stellenbosch. Slegs die FSOC en F-COPES skale is deur ouers voltooi. Die resultate dui daarop dat daar 'n beduidend positiewe verband bestaan tussen studente se belewing van gesins- en persoonlike koherensie en die belangrikheid van die benutting van ondersteuningsbronne. Daar is gevind dat vroulike studente 'n sterker belewing van gesinskoherensie as manlike studente het. Beduidende verskille is gevind tussen die studente en hulle ouers se belewing van die tipe hanteringstrategieë wat deur die gesin tydens krisissituasies gebruik word. Beduidende verskille is gevind spesifiek tussen die studente en hulle ouers se belewing van die gesin se verkryging van sosiale ondersteuning, die mobilisering van die gesin om hulp te verkry en te aanvaar, en die gesin se passiewe waardering van 'n probleem. Die navorsingsresultate het belangrike implikasies vir die ontwikkeling en implementering van ondersteuningsgroepe asook sosiale en lewensvaardigheidsprogramme aan sekondêre en tersiêre opleidingsinstansies.

Thesis (MA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2003. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The primary aim of this study was to identify factors contributing to the adjustment of adolescents whose parents are divorced. Learning theory and schema theory were evaluated as possible explanations for the variance found in the adjustment of these adolescents. The secondary aim of the study was to research the possibility of attitude to divorce acting as a mediator between the parent-adolescent relationship and adolescent adjustment (a possibility suggested by schema theory). Self-report questionnaires were completed by first year Psychology and Economics students at Stellenbosch University. 293 students completed the questionnaires, but as only 39 of these students came from divorced families, 38 of the data sets from students with married parents were randomly selected for use in the study. Respondents completed Antonovsky's Life Orientation Questionnaire (measuring adjustment); Hudson's CAM and CAF questionnaires (measuring relationships with mother and father, respectively); and a set of questions measuring attitude to divorce; as well as a biographical questionnaire. The results showed only limited evidence for attitude to divorce acting as a mediator between the parent-adolescent relationship and adolescent adjustment. Schema theory is therefore not supported conclusively, although further research is recommended. Results did, however, support learning theory as an adequate explanation for the positive correlations found between parent-adolescent relationships and adolescent adjustment. Knowledge of the importance of learning theory in explaining adolescent adjustment can increase parents' awareness of their influence on their children's adjustment. This knowledge can also be used in the design of therapeutic programmes for families going through divorce. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die hoofdoelstelling van hierdie ondersoek was om faktore te indentifiseer wat bydra tot die aanpassing van adolessente wie se ouers geskei is. Leerteorie en skemateorie is geevalueer as moontlike verkJarings vir die variansie in die aanpassing van die adolessente. 'n Sekondere doel was om die moontlikheid te ondersoek dat die adolessent se houding teenoor egskeiding 'n rol kan speeI in die ouer-adolessent verhouding en die aanpassmg van die adolessent (die moontlikheid voIg uit skemateorie). Selfrapporteringsvraelyste is deur onderskeidelik eerstejaar studente in Sielkunde en Ekonomie aan die Universiteit van Stellenbosch voltooi. 293 studente het die vraelyste voltooi, maar omdat net 39 van hierdie studente uit geskeide gesinne gekom het, is 38 studente met getroude ouers in die ondersoek ingesluit. Studente het Antonovsky se Lewensorientasievraelys (wat aanpassing meet); Hudson se CAM en CAF-vraelyste (wat verhoudings met die rna en pa meet); en 'n stel vrae wat houding teenoor egskeiding meet; sowel as 'n biografiese vraelys voltooi. Beperkte bewys is gevind vir die moontlikheid dat houding teenoor egskeiding bemiddelend optree tussen die oueradolessent verhouding en die aanpassing van die adolessent. Skemateorie kon gevolglik nie bewys word nie, alhoewel verdere ondersoeke aanbeveel word. Die resultate ondersteun leerteorie as 'n goeie verduideliking vir die positiewe korrelasie wat bestaan tussen ouer-adolessent verhouding en die adolessent se aanpassing. Kennis van die belangrikheid van leerteorie as verduideliking vir die aanpassing van adolessente beklemtoon die beJangrike invloed wat die ouers se aanpassing op hul k.inders se aanpassing het. Die kennis kan ook gebruik word in die ontwerp van terapeutiese programme vir gesinne wat egskeiding beleef.

published_or_final_version / Social Work / Master / Master of Social Work

published_or_final_version / Social Work / Master / Master of Social Work

published_or_final_version / Education / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / Education / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / Psychiatry / Master / Master of Philosophy

Cancer has long been a prevalent illness in Hong Kong which caused tremendous stress on patients and their families. This study examined the cognitive process and behavioral efforts which related to cancer patients’ subjective well-being. Three hypotheses were proposed. First, higher internal locus of control over the cause of illness was hypothesized to relate to poorer subjective well-being through maladaptive coping. Second, higher internal locus of control over the course of illness may result in better subjective well-being through adaptive coping. Third, higher levels of hope may relate to better subjective well-being through adaptive coping. Ninety-eight patients with different types of cancers were recruited in this study. The results showed that internal locus of control over the cause of illness was not directly related to subjective well-being. The relationship between internal locus of control over the course of illness and social/family well-being was fully mediated by adaptive cognitive-behavioral coping and social and activity-engagement coping respectively in two separate mediation analyses. The relationship between levels of hope and social/family well-being was partially mediated by social and activity-engagement coping, while levels of hope significantly associated with social/family, emotional, functional and overall well-being. The study findings enhance understanding of close relationship between cognitive process and behavioral efforts in enhancing cancer patients’ adjustment to the illness. / published_or_final_version / Clinical Psychology / Master / Master of Social Sciences

The adjustment of sojourning spouses appears to be critical to the adjustment of their partners in the relocation; yet adjusting to international relocation is often reported to be a challenging process. The present project comprises a systematic review of research on spouse adjustment in international relocations(Study 1) and an empirical study among a sample of 135 Japanese sojourning housewives in Hong Kong(Study 2). Study 1found that adjustment was measured differently in the past research of sojourning spouse adjustment, and multiple individual, interpersonal and situational or environmental factors have been found to be associated with the adjustment of spouse after relocation. Study 2found that personal coping style was associated with psychological adjustment, while a coping style that focuses on problem solving, along with marital satisfaction and sociocultural interaction, emerged as significant predictors of satisfaction with life. Homemaking stressors were found to be negatively associated with psychological adjustment, and a significant interaction effect with marital satisfaction is found. Dyadic trust was found to contribute significantly to psychological well-being, and its effect was fully mediated by marital satisfaction. Overall speaking, existing models of spousal adjustment in expatriation seem to apply to the Japanese population studied. / published_or_final_version / Clinical Psychology / Master / Master of Social Sciences

In support of Snyder’s cognitive theory, hope has been found to be a positive factor in psychological adjustment among adult cancer patients and non-cancer paediatric patients with various illnesses. Nonetheless, Snyder’s cognitive theory of hope has not been specifically examined among childhood cancer patients and survivors. Unlike adult cancer patients, childhood cancer patients and survivors are characterized by early onset age in their cancer diagnosis which may mean that they face different psychological and physiological challenges. The identification of positive factors that attenuate negative psychological adjustment outcomes may be crucial in the development of effective therapeutic interventions. Despite that previous studies support the correlation between hope and positive adjustment outcomes, the exact cognitive mechanism that underpins the cognitive theory of hope remains underexplored. Although Snyder postulated that hope is goal-directed thinking which comprises willpower and waypower, he failed to establish any association between hope and rumination. The role of rumination in predicting the onset of mood symptoms and maintaining psychopathology has been well-researched, but it is conceptually meaningful to investigate the potential association between hope and rumination and their respective roles in affecting psychological adjustments in cancer experiences. The current thesis improves on the understanding of relationships between hope, rumination and cancer adjustment, and expands on studies of cancer adjustment by tapping into both positive and negative psychological outcomes, and examines how these two juxtaposed outcomes are associated with hope as mediated by positive and negative ruminations respectively. Eighty-nine childhood cancer survivors from the Children’s Cancer Foundation in Hong Kong took part in questionnaires that measured their levels of hope, rumination, mood symptoms and self-perceived positive changes or post-traumatic growth (PTG). The findings suggest that hope is negatively correlated with depression and anxiety, which are specifically mediated by negative cancer-related rumination. Hope is also positively correlated with PTG, which is specifically mediated by positive cancer-related rumination. These results provide empirical evidence to support the postulation by Snyder that low hope individuals adjust poorly because they are more likely to have negative rumination. High hope individuals adjust better as they are more likely to engage in positive rumination which is associated with PTG. The overall findings provide a possible explanation for the cognitive mechanism that underlies hope. A supplementary pilot study conducted measuring 20 childhood cancer patients’ hope level and mood symptoms over a period of nine months post-acute treatment also suggests patients have fewer prospective depressive symptoms have higher hope level in early measurement. The findings of the current thesis have important clinical implications. The understanding of hope and its association with rumination and cancer adjustment may inform the specific development of hope-based therapeutic interventions for childhood cancer patients and survivors, such as the hope-based storybook developed in this study with the aim to increase the hope levels of childhood cancer patients. / published_or_final_version / Clinical Psychology / Doctoral / Doctor of Psychology