M.Ed. (Psychology of Education) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

M.Ed. (Psychology of Education) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

M.Ed. / Please refer to full text to view abstract

This study explores high-performing male psychology students’ narratives of identity. The rationale for undertaking this study is that men presently represent a shrinking minority within the academic and professional practice of psychology in South Africa. While much quantitative research has noted gendered trends within the field, there remains a paucity of qualitative data on these men’s thoughts and experiences within the South African context. A narrative research design, underpinned by an interpretative phenomenological epistemology, was employed to explore this topic in a participant-led manner. The unique life stories of the six male participants, recruited from third-year, honours and masters psychology courses, were explored through an open-ended narrative interview that was later followed by a semi-structured interview. Both interviews were audio-recorded and the interview transcripts were subjected to a two stage inductive thematic analysis in which emergent themes were interrogated both for each participant and between participants. The first round of data analysis yielded thirty thematic codes according to which these participants’ narratives of identity could be interpreted and during the second stage of analysis these codes were clustered into six master themes which were mapped onto the secondary research questions informing this study. Thematic analysis revealed: (1) active efforts by the participants to defy hegemonic gender norms and (re)define masculinity through engagement in what is traditionally defined as “women’s work” in their adoption of a care-giver role by providing emotional support to others while also attempting to redefine psychology as a profession that is not exclusively feminine. (2) These participants reported selecting their career option on the basis of passion as opposed to pragmatics by valuing their desire to engage in this field over hegemonic concerns with prestige and earning-potential. However, such considerations were peripheral rather than absent in their narratives. (3) Consistent with previous findings, these men all reported experiencing life struggles as a route to developing empathy and therefore exhibited elements of the wounded-healer model. (4) Those men who are pursuing careers neuropsychology and industrial psychology showed an interest in humanity (scientists) fostered by feelings of difference while those in therapeutic orientations report developing a desire to help (helpers) based on experiences of marginalisation. While the participants differed as to whether they were more inclined towards the more traditionally masculine values of science or the more traditionally feminine values of care, they all reported a desire to both help and understand as professional psychologists. (5) While diversity and difference were reported by these men to contribute to an enhanced sense of empathy and social interest, they mentioned such a sense of difference having developed from the experience of early geographic movement and exposure to multiple cultures. This seems to have fostered a keen social awareness that contributed to a growing interest in the different lifestyles that people and communities enjoy which they now study and work with as aspiring psychologists. (6) Furthermore, their dynamic and changing world is suggested to have garnered a love of variety and iterative sense of self which has permitted continuing development in professional psychology as they report finding the personal growth and development endemic to the field to be an important part of how they understand themselves. Findings of the research which may broadly map directions for future research include a lack of conflation by these men of sexual orientation and masculinity suggesting that homosexuality is not necessarily understood as a contravention of masculine norms not suggested by previous research findings. Importantly, while feelings of difference were explored in this study, race was a shared silence during the interviews and further investigation into the experiences of black men aspiring to become male psychologists in the South African context is considered vital to enhancing our understanding of the diverse body of professionals in South African psychology.

People are exposed to and influenced by persuasive tactics on a daily basis. Greater knowledge on the processes of persuasion would allow for the development of mechanisms that can assist in building people’s resistance to corrupt persuasive attempts and to heighten the use of persuasion for purposes that are beneficial. Despite the extensive amount of research that has been dedicated to investigating these dynamics, understandings remain predominantly inconclusive. It is for these reasons that this study sought to gain a greater understanding of the role of source credibility in persuasive processes. ‘Time’ and ‘source credibility’ were manipulated as the independent variables and used to assess changes in the dependent variable of ‘global warming opinions’. Results showed a general decline in global warming concern across the control and experimental conditions. These results highlighted the role of other interacting variables in persuasive contexts, while also further highlighting the great need for future studies in this domain.

Higher education in South Africa faces a variety of challenges including poor pass rates, large numbers of students dependent on the National Student Financial Aid Scheme, intrapersonal and socioeconomic challenges of students and vast numbers of applicants vying for limited places in institutions. The primary method of selection and screening of applicants is the Academic Points Score (APS), calculated on Grade 12 achievement levels. However, large numbers of applicants exhibit similar or identical scores which meet minimum requirements. This makes effective selection difficult in terms of potential to succeed in the tertiary education context. Therefore, additional selection instruments may be useful in determining high from low potential candidates. Cognitive instruments are one option available to institutions and have been investigated to a certain extent, particularly in conjunction with alternative achievement based assessments. The present study examined a cognitive instrument utilised for selections at a University of Technology. The instrument is based on verbal and non-verbal reasoning skills, basic calculative ability, reading comprehension, memory and spatial reasoning. The results on the sub-tests of this instrument were examined in relation to APS and average mark achieved during study for National Diploma courses at the institution. Although statistically significant relationships did exist, as well as some demographic differences, effect sizes and correlation coefficients were small. Concerningly, APS did not explain a large percentage of variance in average mark. This finding is important in light of current selection procedures. Multiple regression and logistic regression models indicated that two specific sub-tests, in combination with APS, did contribute to predictive power in determining average mark. A number of themes in terms of this prediction are explored. These include English language ability, gender differences, specific cognitive skills and the general validity of utilisation of APS and/or cognitive testing as predictors of tertiary education success. In light of poor success rates in tertiary institutions across South Africa, further research into effective selection procedures should be prioritised.

Responding to a body of literature that identifies road crashes caused by drinking and driving as a serious social and economic issue in South Africa, this research aims to investigate behaviour and beliefs relating to drinking and driving among young males in the Pietermaritzburg area of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. This sampling criterion emanates from the identification of this group as an at-risk demographic for alcohol-related road accidents and fatalities. Underpinned by Albert Bandura’s Social-Cognitive Theory, which explores the reciprocal relationship between beliefs, behaviour and environment to explain behaviour, the research surveyed 190 young males between the ages of 18 and 35 years that self-identify as drunk drivers. The research focused on determining and describing the constraining and enabling factors contributing to drinking and driving among the group. The findings explore the high frequency of drinking and driving in the sample which is found to be, to varying degrees, informed by their relationship to their family, peer groups and social context. The research also uncovers a concerning trend of overestimating driving ability when drunk. It further identifies a lack of perceived risk relating to law enforcement. / Thesis (M.Soc.Sc.) - University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2009.

Thesis (M.A. (Political & International Studies)) - Rhodes University, 2009. / A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts.

Afrikaans text / Die doel van hierdie ondersoek is om sosio-kulturele kenmerke van sekere swart studente aan die Universiteit van Suid-Afrika weer te gee en te bepaal of, op welke wyse, en watter, sosio-kulturele faktore 'n invloed op hul _studie en akademiese prestasie het. Dit is gedoen deur 'n kontekstuele, individualisties-holistiese en biografiese benadering toe te pas op gevallestudies waarvan die besonderhede deur diepte-onderhoude verkry is. Deur middel van die gevallestudies word 'n algemene oorsig van die betrokke studente se kinderjar.e en volwasse lewe buite universiteitsverband gegee. Die volwasse lewe word beskryf aan die hand van gemeenskaplike aktiwiteitsvelde waaraan die individue deelneem. Die universiteit word ook as 'n aktiwiteitsveld beskou en in terme van die betrokke studente se deelname daaraan volledig beskryf met inagneming van die verband daarvan met ander aktiwiteitsvelde. Vervolgens is uit die beskrywing van die kinderjare, die volwasse lewe buite universiteitsverband en die veld van die universiteit faktore geidentifiseer wat 'n invloed blyk te he op die studie en prestasie van die studente in die ondersoekgroep. Die gevolgtrekkinge is dat daar verskeie sosiokulturele en 'n aantal ander faktore is wat studie. en akademiese prestasie beinvloed en dat daar variasie is in die invloed van sodanige faktore by verskillende individue. / The aim of this investigation is to give an exposition of the socio-cultural characteristics of certain black students at the University of South Africa and to determine wheth~r, in what way, and which, socio-cultural factors influence their studies and academic performance. The study entailed the application of a contextual, individualisticholistic and biographical approach to case studies, the details of which were obtained through in-depth interviews. A general overview of the childhood of the students concerned and of their adulthood outside the context of the university, is provided by means of the case studies. Adulthood is described in terms of common fields of activity in which the individuals participate. The university is also regarded as a field of activity and is described fully in terms of the participation of the students involved, with due regard for relations between the university and other fields of activity. From the descriptions of childhood, adulthood outside the context of the university, and also of the field of activity of the university, factors are identified which appear to influence the studies and performance of the students with whom case studies were conducted. Conclusions reached reveal diverse socio-cultural as well as a number of other factors that influence study and academic performance, as well as a variation in the influence of such factors on different individuals. / Anthropology and Archaeology / D. Litt. et PHil. (Antropologie)

Thesis (MTech (Quality))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2009. / As higher education is increasingly becoming globalised, quality assurance is one of the most important mechanisms that can be used to ensure the competitiveness of higher education institutions in South Africa. The competitive market place both in private and public higher education sectors, require people at all level in an organisation to think of ways to continuously improve their products or service that they deliver to customers. This can only be achieved within higher education institution if staff and management can demonstrate their commitment to quality improvement through their active contribution to outstanding performance. By providing higher quality service to students, contribute to the positive assessment of the university in its services rendered to its clients. This research seeks to determine the inefficiencies that impact adversely on service delivery as identified in the student housing registration and placement system, and to investigate ways of continuously improving the various processes and procedures. The primary research objectives of this study include the following: > To review the current student housing registration and placement system. > To determine client satisfaction as it relates to the current student housing registration and placement system. > To investigate and design an improved student housing registration and placement system that is efficient, workable, fast and user-friendly. > To develop a mechanism to continuously improve the quality of the system. It is anticipated that the research will lead to an improvement of student housing registration and placement application processes, which in tum will contribute to the overall improvement of service delivery. Furthermore it will enhance communication with the students and staff involved in the registration and placement process.