M.A. / In the face of economic hardship, social, political and cultural change, matriculants in South Africa are confronted with increased pressure when exploring and deciding on their career paths. This task in itself is complex and is expected to culminate in a career decision upon leaving school, even when subject to these and other extrinsic limitations over which the individual has no control. For example, the serious lack of career guidance programs in the large majority of our schools (Mathabe & Temane, 1993). Regardless, school pupils in South Africa are expected to make their preliminary choice in Standard 7 when they choose their matric subjects. Three years later they are expected to leave school with a career decision. These same individuals are also struggling to meet the challenges of adolescence and are searching for an identity they can call their own. It is surmised that those pupils who have not yet made a career decision are more likely to experience feelings of depression than those with definite career plans. This study regarding the relationship between depressive symptomatology and career choice, had the following objectives: A comprehensive literature review focusing on depression, depressive symptomatology, the aetiology of depression, theory and research with reference to the adolescent in particular. A further literature review focusing on various theories of career choice and research with particular reference to career indecision. A quantitative and qualitative investigation of career choice and depressive symptomatology in matriculants in South Africa. The initial part of the study focuses on the theoretical review of depressive symptomatology and career choice, to firstly define the concepts as operationalised in this study and secondly to explore the theory and research to date with reference to the factors contributing to and maintaining feelings of depression and career indecision in adolescents. The researcher reviews and discusses phenominological differences and similarities between the adult and adolescent experience of depression, with particular reference to depressive symptomatology, the approach used in this research. Career choice is also defined and discussed with reference to the developmental stage of adolescence. Various theoretical approaches with regard to depression and career choice are reviewed and discussed. Identity development, and the related concepts of self esteem and self efficacy are discussed, as well as the role of cultural factors, with reference to both depressive symptomatology and career indecision Matriculants from four different regions in Gauteng took part in the study. The sample comprised pupils from both genders and various population groups. Each pupil filled in a questionnaire developed by the researcher, the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the Career Decision Scale (CDS). The data collected from the self developed questionnaire provided insight into various factors of career choice such as realistic goals and dream goals, perceived restrictions and elements of self esteem. This data was described and interpreted in a qualitative analysis and from such the researcher inferred predominant themes and concepts with suggested avenues for further research. The quantitative data collected from the results of the BDI and CDS were statistically described and analyzed. From this data the statistically significant findings were presented and discussed with reference to theory and research. The researcher found that depressive symptomatology and career indecision are significantly related with the incidence of feelings of depression being related to career indecision and career indecision possibly giving rise to symptoms of depression. The study can be criticized for not including a measure of self esteem, a factor closely related to depressive symptomatology and career choice. A further criticism is that the most highly represented cultural groups were the English and Zulu speaking pupils, future studies should include pupils from all cultural groups. The qualitative analysis is subject to an interpretative bias, which may be subjective and influenced by the researcher's own views. The recommendations that were made as a result of this study are as follows: More research is needed into career choice and the incidence of depressive symptomatology with coenizance of levels of self esteem, a more representative sample and perceptions as regards career choice and limitations to certain vocations. The implied direction of the relation between career indecision and depressive symptomatology requires in depth research to further investigate the findings of this research. If career indecision does indeed give rise to feelings of depression, then programs that are being developed and those that are already in place should take cognizance of these results and include preventative measures in any future programs. The implied higher incidence of depressive symptomatology and career indecision in the black population requires further investigation and if the findings in this study are further supported, preventative action is desperately needed. Fifty percent of the pupils show signs of moderate to severe depression. Further research is needed to reaffirm these results and, if substantiated, urgent preventative measures should be taken.

D.Ed. (Educational Psychology) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

M.A. (Psychology) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

D.Cur. / The purpose of this study was to generate an interpersonal communication skills approach for adolescents. Through this approach adolescents will be given an opportunity to formulate new stories on their interpersonal communication skills in the form of stories about constructive communication skills. This will enable adolescents to maintain their important interpersonal relationships. Adolescence is a period characterised by the occurance of many adjustments and changes. Continually higher demands are made from adolescents in terms of career choices, the choice of friends, release from parents and parental homes, development of autonomy and the successful completion of the adolescent developmental phase. The climate of reconciliation in the post apartheid South Africa pressurise adolescents even more. Sources of support is consequently of great importance to adolescents during this phase of change. Sources of support for example the families of adolescents, members of the community and especially the peer group plays a significant role. interpersonal relationships with the aforementioned groups of persons and individuals must be maintained in order to ensure continued support during and in order to successfully complete the developmental phase of adolesence. This requires constructive interpersonal communication skills. It is however evident that adolescents do not posess all of the required constructive communication skills which would enable them to maintain these important interpersonal relationships. The abovementioned lead to the following questions which were addressed in phase one, -two and -three of this research: Over which interpersonal communication skills do adolescents posess? Which specific interpersonal communication skills needs to be addressed in the interpersonal communication skills approach in order to maximise adolescent's ability to communicate interpersonally with a view to improve, maintain and restore their mental health? Which guidelines can be given for the operationalising of the interpersonal communication skills approach for adolescents? A qualitative, investigative, descriptive and contextual design was followed. The research was conducted in three phases with a pre-phase which preceeded phase one of the research. A topical scenario to be utilised in the course of the research was established in the pre-phase of the research through group interviews with adolescents. In phase one of the research role play was conducted and written dialogue was obtained based on the scenarios identified in the pre-phase. An interpersonal communication skills approach was generated in phase two of the research. In phase three of the research certain guidelines were described for the operationalising of the approach. The researcher concluded from the results obtained in phase one of the research that the interpersonal communication of adolescents included in this research were characterised by an entanglement within four repetative circular interpersonalcommunication patterns. These four repetative circular interpersonal communication patterns are initiated and maintained by certain feelings, thoughts and behaviour. The four repetative circular interpersonal communication patterns are the following: Recurrent circular interpersonal patterns of defocusing and externalizing the topic under discussion; Recurrent circular interpersonal patterns of struggling for power between the adolescent and the other conversationist; Recurrent circular interpersonal patterns of not listening to the other conversationist; and Recurrent circular interpersonal patterns of not focusing on feelings while conversating.

M.A. (Psychology) / Research investigating the connection between Functional Hemispherical Asymmetry (FHA) and perception of affect in clinical as well as normal populations, is characterised by contradictory findings with regard to the role of the different hemispheres, especially as regards the perception of various valencies of emotions. Although a majority of studies indicates that the right hemisphere (RH) is superior in the perception of all valencies and emotions - positive as well as negative - there are numerous studies indicating a possible differential processing of positive and negative emotions by the hemispheres. Although various researchers try to lay the above contradictory findings and the general lack of consensus at the door of methodological problems/inequalities or error variances, the literature is increasingly pointing to the existence of evidently reliable individual differences between people as regards their hemispherical functioning. The problem investigated in the current study, is to determine the possible role of the organismic variables in FHA, i e variables seated in the individual who is making the observation. In this study, the focus is specifically on the role of sex and the temperament dimension of introversion-extraversion. The objectives of this study are to determine whether there are significant differences in the direction of these hemispherical differences, as well as the relative performance, of groups divided according to sex and temperament characteristics, and whether the relevant organismic variables offer a possible means of explaining the contradictions in research results on FHA and the perception of emotion. In this study, the measuring of FHA is operationalised in terms of the differential performance, measured in terms of accuracy and speed of observation (response latency) of the hemispheres in the perception of different valencies of emotional stimuli (positive versus negative, and approach versus avoidance emotions).. The subject population comprised a group of students selected in terms of sex and temperament (introversion-extraversion). Selection in terms of introversion-extraversion was done on the basis of subjects' performance in the Personality Questionnaire Form B (Schepers, 1991): persons falling in the lower and upper three stanines of the scale respectively were identified as introverts and extraverts. Only right-handed subjects with no history of brain injury were used for the study. Differential hemispherical performance in terms of response accuracy and latency was determined by means of the Divided Visual Field Technique (DVFT). Although the reliability data of this technique are generally not entirely satisfactory when measured in terms of psychometric test standards, an effort was made to enhance the reliability of the technique in this study by controlling specific stimulus and response variables (inter alia the exposure time and the use of both hands for a response) during the experimental design.

M.A. / This study was conducted to ascertain whether there is a significant relationship between, parental pressure, stress levels and athletic performance in high school track and field athletes. The question can be asked whether parental pressure will result in increased stress levels in the athlete and therefore poorer performance? Sixty-six high school track and field athletes, between the ages of 13 and 18 years, were selected for the study. The athletes were taken from training groups and an Afrikaans high school to Provide a sample that included both elite and social athletes. The IPAT-Anxiety Scale, Sport Competition Anxiety Test (SCAT), SASOL junior tables and three self-designed questionnaires were used to determine the athletes' stress levels, amount of parental pressure and performance measurements. Significant relationships were found between parental pressure, increased stress levels and poorer performance. The more parental pressure experienced by the athlete the higher his stress levels and consequently the poorer his performance.

M.A. / The young offender's criminal behaviour exerts enormous damage to the social and economical aspects of the country. Exploring the identity construction of young offenders, the decisions and choices they make in breaking into strangers' houses, stealing and hijacking other people's cars, is the focus of this study. Attention will also be focused on exploring how the criminal "career" affects and is affected by their identity construction. It is also the purpose of this study to explore what could be attracting the young offender to embark on a criminal expedition, in spite of the consequences of such activities, which appear to be uninviting and uncomfortable. The study comes about as a result of the misery and 6 trauma experienced by victims of the young offender's criminal activities (Clifford, 1974). People spend a lot of money improving the security systems in their properties with the purpose of barring the offenders from entering their premises, or taking the cars away from them. This, however, does not seem to work most of the time as it has in some cases contributed to the offenders also improving their skills on how to commit crime. There is increased surveillance in department stores, insurance premiums are high and there is an increase in the cost of goods and services. It seems that as crime escalates, more young people are sent to prison. Society also feels that prison is the best option for the young offender. Others would like the death sentence to be imposed to deal with the crime problem. At the moment, prisons are overcrowded with young people, who will be released in a few years' time. The question is whether, at the time of their release will they be able to be reintegrated back to society. What kind of people are we expecting them to be when they become adults? What role will they play in the functioning of the community? Probably the community needs to be informed about what happens in prison, for there is a general assumption that prison is a rehabilitative institution. It is seen as a place where we get rid of troublemakers, who on their release have become good citizens with a brighter future. People perceive a prison as a place that rehabilitates offenders and helps reintegrate them back into society. Whether the prison pursues and achieves this purpose needs to be seen. However, the high rate of recidivism leaves much to be desired. Cronje'et al. (1976) in their study found that a large number of young offenders became recidivists or recidivism can be traced back to juvenile offences