This study explored the effects of a person's God image and religiosity on his or her attitudes toward seeking mental health services. God image for participants was measured using the God Image Scale (Lawrence, 1997) and the Loving and Controlling God Scales (Benson & Spilka, 1973) and religious devotion was measured using the Religious Orientation Scale-Revised (Gorsuch & McPherson, 1989) and the Santa Clara Strength of Religious Faith Scale (Plante, Yancey, Sherman, Guertin, & Pardini, 1999). Attitudes toward counseling were measured using the Attitudes Toward Seeking Professional Psychological Help Scale-Short Form (ATSPPH-SF). Results indicated that individuals who perceive God as present, benevolent, and loving have more positive attitudes towards seeking professional help. Individuals who report higher degrees of intrinsic religiosity also indicated more positive attitudes toward counseling. Further, religious devotion did not add meaningful predictive power to God image in predicting attitudes towards counseling. Finally, religious beliefs were demonstrated to be neither a strong nor statistically significant predictor of attitudes towards counseling.

This study explored the effects of a person's God image and religiosity on his or her attitudes toward seeking mental health services. God image for participants was measured using the God Image Scale (Lawrence, 1997) and the Loving and Controlling God Scales (Benson & Spilka, 1973) and religious devotion was measured using the Religious Orientation Scale-Revised (Gorsuch & McPherson, 1989) and the Santa Clara Strength of Religious Faith Scale (Plante, Yancey, Sherman, Guertin, & Pardini, 1999). Attitudes toward counseling were measured using the Attitudes Toward Seeking Professional Psychological Help Scale-Short Form (ATSPPH-SF). Results indicated that individuals who perceive God as present, benevolent, and loving have more positive attitudes towards seeking professional help. Individuals who report higher degrees of intrinsic religiosity also indicated more positive attitudes toward counseling. Further, religious devotion did not add meaningful predictive power to God image in predicting attitudes towards counseling. Finally, religious beliefs were demonstrated to be neither a strong nor statistically significant predictor of attitudes towards counseling.

Submitted to the Faculty of Education in fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Education in the Department of Educational Psychology and Special Education at the University of Zululand, South Africa, 2010. / One of the most devastating diseases in. modem history as measured in terms of loss of human life is the HIV/AIDS pandemic - Approximately 200 million people have already died. Sub- Sahara Africa is the most affected with South Africa severely affected with an estimated 6 million HIV positive South Africans and 2.5 million already dead from AIDS or related illnesses. This study, located at several primary and secondary schools in the deep rural areas of the Scottsburgh circuit, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, was undertaken to investigate the trend that, despite a higher level of knowledge and exposure to information about HIV/AID amongst educators and despite comprehensive campaigns to fight HIV/AIDS, an increasing number of educators are still dying from the disease. In this study it is assumed that knowledge alone is not enough and that attitude change is central to HIV/AIDS prevention since attitudes influence the way in which persons behave. The following research questions are asked: What is the nature of educators' attitudes towards HIV/AIDS, and, are the educators' attitudes towards HIV/AIDS influenced by variables such as age, gender, religion, experience and qualification? Thus the study aims to: determine the nature of educators' attitudes towards HIV/AIDS, and find out whether or not educators' attitudes towards HIV/AIDS are influenced by characteristics such as, gender, age, experience, religion, and qualification. To determine this, a quantitative study was conducted with 71 secondary and primary school educators in the rural area of KwaZulu Natal, Scottsburgh district. The survey, a cross sectional design, involved administering a fixed response questionnaire (Likert scale type) categorized into five scales, which described the nature of educators' attitudes towards HIV/AIDS. The study revealed that there was no significant difference amongst the sampled educators' attitudes towards HIV/ADS, and that these attitudes were mostly negative. This difference was also not influenced by educators' age, gender, qualification, experience or religion. The study found that educators were still discriminating, reluctant to test themselves and disclose their HIV/AIDS status, which may be related to the failure of HIV/AIDS prevention strategies. The campaign to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS in schools and m communities appears to be jeopardized by such attitudes of educators. The following was recommended: the cascading system of training educators did not work and therefore the Department of Education must ensure that every educator has an opportunity to receive training in HIV/AIDS information; that support systems (emotional, psychological, medical) for those educators infected and affected by HFV/AIDS be made available; financial allocations to HIV/AIDS prevention programmes should be increased but with better fmancial control; employment of full-time co-ordinators who are knowledgeable; provision of incentives to encourage educators to test for HIV/AIDS and programmes that provide social skills training needed for behavioural change, as well as those that aim at reducmg stigraatization, ostracism and discrimination of individuals infected. The researcher suggests that an immediate, urgent strategy to address educator attitudes towards the disease is required from the relevant government departments.

Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Doctor Educationis in the Department of Educational Psychology and Special Education Faculty of Education University of Zululand, South Africa, 2012. / The aim of this investigation was to determine learners’ attitudes towards language choice in secondary school. The focus was on secondary school learners attending schools where the medium of instruction is not in their mother tongue. An introductory literature review was provided of mother tongue education versus English as medium of instruction. Advocates of mother tongue education argue that a child learns better and quicker through the mother tongue than through an unfamiliar linguistic medium and it is also an important means of identification among the members of the community to which the child belongs. However, black communities are generally opposed to instruction in their home language because they view the indigenous languages as low status languages and as barriers to their upward mobility in a world dominated by English. In the South African society English is associated with prestige as it is in many other countries. An overview of the current language-in-education practices in South African high schools revealed that depending on which language is taught, as first language either English or Afrikaans is compulsory as a second language. English, as a first language and Afrikaans, which is their third or fourth language, as a second language. The problems experienced with second language instruction were discussed with reference to reading, writing, speaking and listening. For the purpose of the empirical investigation, a self-structured interview was conducted with the educators. A quantitative descriptive analysis was undertaken of the completed questionnaires and a qualitative analysis of the interviews. In conclusion a summary of the study and findings emanating from the literature and empirical investigation was presented. Based on these findings the following recommendations were made:  A school based language policy should be formulated in accordance with the national language-in-education policy but must also take into consideration the language needs of the learners in the school.  Indigenous languages must be developed and promoted by providing financial assistance and/or incentives for literature works and textbooks in the indigenous languages.  Educator training should include strategies to teach multilingual classes.

Each year, there is an increase in the number of international students pursuing higher education in the United States. These students often experience varying degrees of acculturative stress. International students are however not likely to seek counseling. Stigma has been identified as a major barrier to seeking psychological help. The study explored the relationship between self-stigma, social stigma, gender, and length of stay/residence as predictors of attitudes towards seeking professional psychological help of international students attending Mississippi State University. Results of the study indicated that between self-stigma and gender were statistically significant predictors of international students’ attitudes towards seeking professional psychological help. Self-stigma was inversely related to students’ attitudes towards seeking counseling and implied that international students with greater self-stigma were more likely to have negative attitudes towards seeking professional psychological help. Mean scores on the attitudes towards counseling scale suggested that some participants were positively inclined towards counseling while others were not. Similarly, mean scores on the self-stigma scale indicated that some participants found the act of seeking help personally stigmatizing while others did not. There were no statistically significant differences between males and females, and their attitudes towards seeking professional counseling. The results indicated that self-stigma might have a greater influence on help seeking as compared to social stigma. It also confirms the research that suggests that gender might play a role in influencing attitudes toward counseling. Limitations of the study, especially with regard to recruitment and mode of data collection, sampling procedures, instrumentation, and other demographic variables were discussed and alternatives explored.

The thesis examines attitudes towards outdoor advertising, with strong emphasis on gender-based differences. The research intends to reveal the most influencing factors, including gender, format, different images and recall. Earlier researchers have argued that females are inclined to rate advertisements more positively than men. Five different, but interconnected studies, one content analysis and four surveys, were implicated in order to measure the responses to advertising. It is further suggested that positive attitude towards outdoor advertising affects the purchase intent. The theme of sexualised advertising is also discussed within this research. After detailed examination of the advertisements in the centre of St. Petersburg it was concluded that females’ rating is considerably more positive compared to males in the situation of high processing opportunity. However, men were more positive when respondents were asked about more general attitudes to outdoor advertising. Recall of advertising was studied within the field settings and showed that women indeed demonstrate better visual memory. Such factors as format, content were proved to have influence on the recall. In addition, different visual preferences were tested within one study. The findings prove that gender differences in perception of outdoor advertising do exist and should be taken into consideration by advertisers in order to raise the effectiveness of advertising campaigns.

The rapid growth in mobile communication in South Africa makes it an important new advertising medium, and that is why an understanding of attitudes towards mobile advertising is important. As the most technologically astute generation, the Generation Y cohort (individuals born between 1986 and 2005) represents an important current and future market segment for digital media, including mobile media. In South Africa, black African make up the majority of the Generation Y cohort (hereinafter referred to as black Generation Y). Given the size of the black Generation Y market segment in South Africa, and the potential earning power and influential role of those with a tertiary qualification, a need was identified to propose and empirically test a model of possible antecedents that may determine attitudes towards mobile advertising amongst black Generation Y students. The sampling frame for the study included black Generation Y students aged between 18 and 24 who were registered at South Africa’s 23 public registered higher education institutions (HEIs). This sampling frame was narrowed down, using judgement sampling, to three HEI campuses situated in the Gauteng province – one from a comprehensive university, one from a traditional university and one from a university of technology. Lecturers at each of the campuses were contacted and asked if they would allow a questionnaire to be distributed to their students during class time. A convenience sample of 600 students across these three campuses was taken in 2013. Self-administered questionnaires, designed to measure the antecedents influencing black Generation Y students’ attitudes towards mobile advertising, were hand delivered to students during class time at each of the three campuses. The statistical analysis of the collected data included exploratory factor analysis, descriptive statistical analysis, correlation analysis and structural equation modelling. The findings of the study suggest that South African black Generation Y students have a strong positive attitude towards advertising in general, and towards communicating using the SMS function. Moreover, they have a positive attitude towards the value of mobile advertising. It appears that they find mobile advertisements to be intrusive, and do not perceive mobile advertisements to have much entertainment value, which may account for them not having an overall positive attitude towards mobile advertising. Attitude towards advertising and credibility were found to have a significant direct influence on black Generation Y students’ perceived value of mobile advertising, which in turn has a significant direct influence on black Generation Y students’ overall attitude towards mobile advertising. Personalisation and in formativeness have a significant positive influence on credibility. Entertainment, attitudes towards advertising, control and credibility have a significant positive influence on the perceived value of mobile advertising. Intrusiveness has a significant negative influence on overall attitudes towards mobile advertising, while trust and perceived value have a significant positive influence. This study will contribute to developing a profile of the consumer behaviour of the black Generation Y student in South Africa concerning their attitude towards mobile advertising. This research study aimed to develop a conceptual model to illustrate the antecedents that influence black Generation Y students’ attitudes towards mobile advertising. The findings of this study will act as marketing strategy guidelines for marketers seeking to reach this segment through mobile advertising. The findings of this study will be of value to South African marketers, as well as international advertisers, seeking to target this lucrative market segment. / PhD (Marketing Management), North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2014

The effectiveness of an educational psychotherapy presentation on Asians' therapy expectations and help-seeking attitudes was investigated. Subjects were foreign-born Asian university students. Compared to a non-Asian American normative sample, the Asian group demonstrated significantly less accurate expectations about therapy and less positive attitudes about seeking help for psychological problems. A psychotherapy presentation was used to modify expectations and attitudes. It consisted of an audiotaped lecture on therapist and client roles and the types of problems discussed in therapy. It also included a written transcript of therapist-client dialogues for subjects to read. The experimental group, which received the presentation, was compared to placebo control and delayed-treatment control groups. The psychotherapy presentation did not modify Asians' expectations or attitudes more than the control groups. Instead, all three groups showed improvement at posttest. Because there is a clear need to assess further the therapy expectations and attitudes of Asians, future research was recommended.

Across Europe, the welfare state is a focus of social and political contention. Participating in the democratic process offers a means for the public to voice their preferences. However, not everyone participates in politics. Research shows that there are significant participatory inequalities as those with greater socioeconomic resources are more likely to participate in politics. In light of these participatory inequalities, this thesis examines the representativeness of the welfare state preferences of the politically active. The main hypothesis posits that, if less advantaged socioeconomic groups are less likely to participate in politics, the welfare state preferences of the politically active are unlikely to be representative. The thesis brings together the comparative study of participatory inequality and social differences in welfare state preferences to examine data from the European Social Survey (ESS) 2008-09 for Germany, Spain, Sweden and the UK. Latent Class Analysis examines how preferences about the welfare state vary within Europe. By grouping individuals, the analysis shows that within societies there are different views about what should be the responsibilities of government. Using the latent classes, and considering a range of political actions, multivariate regression models show how social inequality determines conflict over the welfare state and transforms into political inequality. The association between preferences and political activity is examined to establish the representativeness of participant preferences. Finally, models combining welfare state preferences, political activity and social position address how social inequality shapes the link between political activity and welfare state preferences. Based on survey data for four European countries, the thesis finds that the politically active are not always representative in their preferences; however, the preference bias of participation varies in direction across countries and forms of political participation. Participatory inequalities do lead to the under-representation of support for the welfare state among the politically active but not in all cases. Examining the social stratification of preferences and participation, the thesis suggests that cross-national variations in the representativeness of participants may result from how preferences and participation are socially stratified. For instance, significant participatory inequalities can occur in contexts where there is less contention over the welfare state. Conversely, contention over the welfare state can coincide with egalitarian patterns of political activity. A concluding proposition is that the factors inhibiting the political participation of the socio-economically disadvantaged may also cultivate weaker levels of support for the welfare state.

For the Australian heritage manager, management of a place is a value-laden enterprise with a vast degree of difference between values. Decisions regarding management of Australian heritage sites require knowledge of the site and the degree of significance that the place holds – whether archaeological, scientific, social, and / or historic. Attitudes towards heritage and its level of importance may be affected by a person’s cultural background. Understanding visitors, including an appreciation of their differing values of importance regarding heritage, is needed so that appropriate management decisions can be implemented. Knowledge of the type(s) of methodology to best ascertain cross-cultural differences appears to be limited. It would appear that methodological guidelines in undertaking cross-cultural research are mostly limited to language translation, conceptual and experiential equivalency, with measurement equivalency the most difficult to achieve between Asian and Western cultures. The investigation concentrated on the countries of Japan and the USA. In terms of both cultural and heritage visitor numbers and greatest expenditure per night, these two countries are amongst Australia’s top four. The USA is comparatively young, only a few hundred years old in regards to its built heritage sites, whereas Japan has a longer history, being a few thousand years old. Control groups in each country were also included so that if any influences from the research sites occurred, the control group would allow a more objective indication of cultural backgrounds. From the results, attitudes towards heritage are influenced by cultural backgrounds. The results indicate that first and foremost, Americans value and place greater importance upon culturally built heritage, whilst the Japanese value and place greater importance upon the intangible – the stories of the place, the people and the social values of the time. From the research, a conceptual and strategic framework for the Australian heritage manager regarding marketing to these two cultural groups is proposed.