Divorce brings unprecedented changes. The prevalence of divorce today constitutes a need to thoroughly study the well-being of divorced peoples. This study used a multidimensional definition of well-being to study divorced peoples and other marital statuses. Physical, social, psychological, and socioeconomic well-being were used. This study hypothesized that the married and remarried have higher well-being than the never married who in turn have higher well-being than the divorced or separated. It was also hypothesized that some are pre-disposed to divorce. ANCOVA analysis was used to test these hypotheses in a sample of approximately 9,863 respondents from the NSFH study. Support was found for the hypothesis that the never married have higher well-being than the divorced or separated. This was true in all four aspect analyses. No support was found for the hypothesis that some are pre-disposed to divorce. Further, support was found for married and remarried having higher well-being than the divorced or separated and never married, but only in regards to psychological and socioeconomic well-being. Partial support was found for physical well-being. The divorced or separated had the lowest or close to lowest adjusted well-being mean of all marital statuses except in the social well-being analysis. Marital status and especially divorce does affect well-being.

“The family is the building block of society. It is a nursery, a school, a hospital, a leisure centre, a place of refuge and rest. It encompasses the whole of society. It fashions our beliefs; it is the preparation for the rest of our life,” Margaret Thatcher (1988). We are all well aware of the important role of family in people’s lives, we know it can affect you, empower you, or break you. Many studies and research has sought to define the role and influence of family in every which way, but truthfully, we can never know enough and we will never know everything. As human beings, we constantly strive for more – more knowledge, more understanding, and more insight. But the family, in essence, is a mystery; a far too complex and unique system that cannot be broken down into simple numbers or words. It is this that inspired me to do this study – although we can never know everything, we can always know more. This study therefore aimed to investigate the psychosocial well-being of a group of families and from the findings obtained, develop a conceptual framework and a model for psychosocial well-being of families from diverse cultures in a South African context. The research method consisted of two stages namely, stage one: a multi-method approach using quantitative and qualitative research for theory generation, and stage two: formulation of a conceptual framework and visual model. The first phase consisted of a quantitative research design with a sample size of 772 participants. The aim of the first phase was to determine the prevalence of psychosocial well-being in families and to identify families who report high, moderate and low levels of psychosocial well-being, using validated psychological instruments. The second aim of the quantitative phase was to propose a measurement model to assess family psychosocial well-being in a South African context. The second phase consisted of a qualitative, explorative research design used to understand and describe aspects that contribute to the psychosocial well-being of families from diverse cultures in a South African context, by analysing the storied (narrative) experiences (N = 23), drawings (N = 14) and family interviews (N = 36) of identified families who reported psychosocial well-being or less thereof, in the first phase of the study (Creswell, 2003). These findings were then utilized to develop a conceptual framework followed and a model for the psychosocial well-being of families in a South African context. The findings from the first, quantitative phase show a rather small group of participants who report high levels of family psychosocial well-being, while the majority falls within the low and moderate ranges, and approximately 64% of the participants are not experiencing optimal psychosocial well-being. The results support a two-factor model of family psychosocial well-being consisting of family functioning and family feelings. Family functioning included family relational patterns, family functioning style and family hardiness while the second factor, family feelings, included family satisfaction and attachment. The findings from the qualitative phase suggest that communication, mutual support, togetherness as a family and spirituality are the most prominent contributing factors, whilst financial difficulties and interpersonal conflicts or arguments are the most prominent hindering factors with regard to family psychosocial well-being in this group of participants. These findings were utilized to develop a conceptual framework and a model for the psychosocial well-being of families from diverse cultures in a South African context that can be used in future research and in the development of programmes to enhance the psychosocial well-being of South African families. / PhD, Psychology, North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2012

Faculty of Humanities School of Human and Community Development 0004529r Chazens2global.co.za / This study aimed to investigate the nature of the relationship between organisational stress, in terms of individual’s emotional reactions to their jobs, and physical and psychological well-being. It then aimed to expand upon previous research in this area, by considering the effects of potential mediators such as job and family involvement on this relationship. In addition to this it aimed to explore the possible differences in the emotions at work, well-being and job and family involvement as experienced by individuals of different demographic groups. Questionnaires containing a biographical information sheet and four well-established measures, including the Job-Related Affective Well-Being Scale, the Well- Being Scale, as well as the Job Involvement Questionnaire and Family Involvement Scale, were distributed to the male and female employees at a large organisation in Johannesburg. This sampling method yielded a final sample of 249 respondents, consisting of 120 men and 129 women. The results of this study illustrated significant differences in the physical well-being of the men and women in the sample, with men reporting experiencing greater levels of positive physical well-being than their female counterparts. A significant difference was also demonstrated in the emotions at work experienced by the Black and White respondents of the study, with the Black individuals reporting more positive emotions at work than their White counterparts. In addition, the findings of this study indicated that there was a positive relationship between the constructs of emotions at work and physical and psychological well-being and that emotions at work mediated the relationships between job and family involvement and well-being.

“The family is the building block of society. It is a nursery, a school, a hospital, a leisure centre, a place of refuge and rest. It encompasses the whole of society. It fashions our beliefs; it is the preparation for the rest of our life,” Margaret Thatcher (1988). We are all well aware of the important role of family in people’s lives, we know it can affect you, empower you, or break you. Many studies and research has sought to define the role and influence of family in every which way, but truthfully, we can never know enough and we will never know everything. As human beings, we constantly strive for more – more knowledge, more understanding, and more insight. But the family, in essence, is a mystery; a far too complex and unique system that cannot be broken down into simple numbers or words. It is this that inspired me to do this study – although we can never know everything, we can always know more. This study therefore aimed to investigate the psychosocial well-being of a group of families and from the findings obtained, develop a conceptual framework and a model for psychosocial well-being of families from diverse cultures in a South African context. The research method consisted of two stages namely, stage one: a multi-method approach using quantitative and qualitative research for theory generation, and stage two: formulation of a conceptual framework and visual model. The first phase consisted of a quantitative research design with a sample size of 772 participants. The aim of the first phase was to determine the prevalence of psychosocial well-being in families and to identify families who report high, moderate and low levels of psychosocial well-being, using validated psychological instruments. The second aim of the quantitative phase was to propose a measurement model to assess family psychosocial well-being in a South African context. The second phase consisted of a qualitative, explorative research design used to understand and describe aspects that contribute to the psychosocial well-being of families from diverse cultures in a South African context, by analysing the storied (narrative) experiences (N = 23), drawings (N = 14) and family interviews (N = 36) of identified families who reported psychosocial well-being or less thereof, in the first phase of the study (Creswell, 2003). These findings were then utilized to develop a conceptual framework followed and a model for the psychosocial well-being of families in a South African context. The findings from the first, quantitative phase show a rather small group of participants who report high levels of family psychosocial well-being, while the majority falls within the low and moderate ranges, and approximately 64% of the participants are not experiencing optimal psychosocial well-being. The results support a two-factor model of family psychosocial well-being consisting of family functioning and family feelings. Family functioning included family relational patterns, family functioning style and family hardiness while the second factor, family feelings, included family satisfaction and attachment. The findings from the qualitative phase suggest that communication, mutual support, togetherness as a family and spirituality are the most prominent contributing factors, whilst financial difficulties and interpersonal conflicts or arguments are the most prominent hindering factors with regard to family psychosocial well-being in this group of participants. These findings were utilized to develop a conceptual framework and a model for the psychosocial well-being of families from diverse cultures in a South African context that can be used in future research and in the development of programmes to enhance the psychosocial well-being of South African families. / PhD, Psychology, North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2012

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2009. / Title from first page of PDF file. Includes vita. Includes bibliographical references (p. 154-172).

The prequel to Plato’s Sophist, the Theaetetus, ends with the unanswered question, what is the logos (discursive account, reasoning) appropriate to knowledge? How can one distinguish it from the logos that lacks knowledge? This dissertation argues that the Sophist, through an inquiry of what the sophist is, is a response to that question. This response consists in three basic claims. First, logos forms the heart of inquiry, that is, the ascent from ignorance to knowledge. That ascent consists in logos repeatedly articulating what one understands at a given moment and then examining that articulation from different perspectives. The dialogue shows how the interlocutors’ initial understanding of the sophist is constantly refuted, refined, challenged, and qualified after being articulated. Second, the cognitive powers of perceiving, judging, and thinking all have the structure of logos, and are presented as stages in the ascent. That is, stage one shows the interlocutors’ perceptions of the sophist; stage two, their judgment of him; and stage three, what they think of him. Each stage gradually approaches knowledge without being identical to it. Finally, this absence of identity suggests that logos is necessary but perhaps insufficient for the ascent to knowledge. The process of inquiry, as shown in the Sophist, gestures towards knowledge as a state of mind that is both internally self-consistent and holds beliefs that allow the knower to be “in touch with” the world (a relation that Plato calls “truth”). Logos is insufficient for knowledge for two reasons. First, while capable of achieving a self-consistent state of mind, it does not guarantee that its results will be true of the world. Nor, moreover, can it replace the personal experience that is equally necessary for knowledge. The dialogue suggests this latter point by concluding with a correct definition (logos) of the sophist that is misunderstood by one of the interlocutors (Theaetetus) due to his lack of experience. These limits of logos suggest that the Sophist presents Plato’s self-critique of both the possibility and desirability of the philosophical dream of grasping the world in its purely “logical” aspects.

The aim of the study was to examine the determinants of well-being in Malaysian students at home and overseas. Prior to the main study, interviews were conducted with seven PhD students of Malaysia studying in Plymouth, to explore their needs and values, and their adaptation experiences in terms of missing and enjoyment experiences abroad. Based on the interview findings and literature reviews, a questionnaire was developed and named as the Adaptation to Life Index, which consisted of two scales - ‘missing experience’ and ‘enjoyment experience’. A longitudinal survey was carried out using Malaysian students in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, the US, Ireland, and Canada as well as students who remained in Malaysia. At Time 1, data were collected from 1118 students who were enrolling at various overseas preparatory studying programmes and 972 first year students in one of the public university in Malaysia who were continuing their education in Malaysia. Measurements used were the Big Five Personality Inventory (John, Donahue, & Kentle, 1991), Schwartz’s Short Value Scale (SSVS) (Lindeman & Verkasalo, 2005; Schwartz, 1992), Positive and Negative Affect Scales (PANAS) (Watson, et al, 1988), Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) (Diener, et al., 1985), perceived stress scale (based on the results of Malaysian Certificate of Education and perceived English language fluency), and a section on socio-demographic background. At time 2, 30 % of the participants (N= 628) were retained. Life satisfaction for home students remained constant over time. However, life satisfaction for overseas students started much lower at Time 1 but increased at Time 2. Results showed that life satisfaction at time 1 strongly predicted life satisfaction at Time 2, but neither personality nor values were predicted life satisfaction at Time 2. Personality and values at Time 1 predicted ‘missing experience at Time 2 and in the overseas students, being fluent in English predicted less ‘missing experience’. There were few predictors of Time 1 for ‘enjoyment’ at Time 2, but fluency with English predicted better enjoyment.

Subjective well-being when on neuroleptic treatment (SWBN), has been established as a good predictor of adherence, early response and prognosis in patients with schizophrenia(1, 2). The 20-item subjective well-being under neuroleptic treatment scale (SWN-K 20) is a self-rating scale that has been validated to measure SWBN(3). However, the SWN-K20 has not been previously used in a Low- and Middle-income country (LMIC). Aims and Objectives: This study explored the psychometric properties of SWN-K20 in a sample of Xhosa speaking African patients with schizophrenia, and investigated factors associated with SWBN in this population. Methods: As a part of a large genetic study, 244 study participants with a confirmed diagnosis of schizophrenia completed the translated SWN-K 20 scale. Internal consistency analysis was performed, and convergent analysis and exploratory analysis were conducted using Principal Component Analysis (PCA).Varimax rotation method was selected as we did not assume any correlation of the factors(4). Linear regression methods were used to determine predictors of SWBN in the sample population. Results: The PCA extracted 4 components which cumulatively explained 52.21% of the total variance. The internal consistency of the SWN-K 20 was 0.86 and those of the sub-scales ranged between 0.47 and 0.59. The total scores of the SWN-K 20 demonstrated moderate correlation r= 0.44 with GAF scores. The sub-scale scores had lower correlations ranging between r=.41 and r=.30 with the GAF scores. The total scores on SWN-K20 scale were used to explore factors influencing SWBN. There was a significant correlation between overall subjective well-being score with higher education level, increased illness severity and GAF scores. Discussion and Conclusion: The isiXhosa version of the SWN-20 scale can be used for clinical and research purposes in LMICs but predictors of SWBN in this population differed from those previously established in (high income countries) HICs. The individual sub-scales of the SWN-K20 were less reliable when translated into isiXhosa and hence the subs-scales were not a meaningful measure of specific domains of wellbeing . These findings merit evaluation to determine whether cultural and linguistic specific sub-cales might provide further insight and recommendations for use in South African context. Predictors of SWBN in this LMICs population were not comparable to those in HICs setting(5, 6). Older patients with lower baseline level of education, poor global functioning and less severe symptoms were noted to have lower SWBN and hence at risk of poor compliance. This information could provide guidance for clinicians, researchers and interventions that aim at improving compliance and the treatment experiences of this patient group.

In 2012, the Chinese 18th Party Congress identified individual well-being and well-being of the nation as 2 of the most important goals for China. Well-being, the maintenance of a happy and meaningful life, is one of the major psychological health benchmarks in an individual's life. Empirical research on lay conceptions and experiences of well-being has been almost exclusively conducted in Western cultures. Understanding Chinese lay people's conceptions of well-being and the relationship of those conceptions to experienced well-being is important for optimizing individual and social well-being, and for providing a basis for positive social change in China. The primary objective of this correlational study was to investigate the potential relationship among 4 dimensions of well-being and 5 indicators of experienced well-being. A secondary objective was to explore whether the relationship between eudaimonic (meaning in life) aspects of well-being was statistically stronger than the hedonic (happiness) conceptions of well-being. Data were collected from a sample of 548 participants from a medium-sized university in China using a paper-and-pencil survey. The analysis included descriptive statistics and multiple linear regression. The overall results indicated that eudaimonic and hedonic aspects of well-being are highly associated with experience of well-being, but the relationship between eudaimonic aspects of well-being was not statistically stronger than the hedonic aspects. Policymakers can use the findings of this study to help focus policy development and improvement at the organizational level for Chinese society.

Mothers' dating after divorce has been linked to health benefits for mothers (Amato, 2000). However, this association assumes that all repartnering relationships are beneficial for mothers (Symoens et al., 2014). According to the divorce-stress-adaptation perspective (Wang & Amato, 2000), mothers' dating after divorce may be a supportive factor for her adjustment if her relationship is high quality, which can assist mothers with post-divorce stress (Amato, 2000; Wang & Amato, 2000), or can contribute to post-divorce stress through low quality relationships (Hetherington, 2003; Montgomery et al., 1992). However, not all mothers date, and those that do, use different approaches to dating, such as dating only one partner versus multiple partners. Another deficit in the literature is the influence of selection processes during repartnering. As well as examining the impact of relationship quality on maternal well-being, the current study includes the influence of stable traits, such as age and length of marriage, in order to examine the threat of selection across different repartnering histories. The current study used four repartnering histories that mothers reported after divorce (no dating, dating monogamously, dating multiple partners serially, and dating multiple partners simultaneously) to examine consequences on maternal well-being (depressive symptoms, life satisfaction, drunkenness, and unprotected sex). Relationship quality is reported for each relationship. Using longitudinal monthly diary data collected over a two-year period beginning with filing for divorce and multi-level models, I examined changes in the intercept and slope of maternal well-being for each repartnering history, as well as the effect of breakup with a particular focus on the interaction of relationship quality. To test for the threat of selection, I used mothers' stable traits as level-2 predictors. Results for this study show that mothers who enter in a high quality relationship report slightly higher levels of maternal well-being. Mothers entering low quality relationships report slightly lower levels of maternal well-being compared to times when mothers are not dating. Maternal well-being was not consistently influenced by maternal breakup. Mothers also reported increases in unprotected sex throughout the study, which may be a better marker of trust than maternal well-being. Only support was found for selection effects. Implications for maternal well-being are discussed. / text