Thesis (MA (Psychology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2005. / The primary aim of this study was to determine the content and number of fears expressed by 1st year students at a tertiary institution both retrospectively and currently. The expressed retrospective profile aimed to determine the content and number of fears recalled by the sample group when they were six years old. The expressed current profile aimed to determine the content and number of fears currently being experienced. The study also aimed to establish whether there were significant gender differences in the two profiles. This study found that there were no significant differences between males and females in terms of content or number of expressed fears for the retrospective profile. Both groups indicated the most reported fears for Dark/Night, followed by fears of People and Animals, although in different rank orders. The fears were of a specific nature as the five highest ranked categories accounted for almost 70% of the fears expressed. In addition, the actual fear profile of pre-school children as found by Loxton (2004) was compared to the retrospective fear profile as the sample group recalled it. This study confirmed Loxton’s findings as the three highest ranked categories of the retrospective expressed profile covered the five highest ranked categories in the actual profile. This study found that males and females shared four of the five most common ranked fears for the current expressed profile, namely Failure, Harm to Others, Animals and Future. This study did not confirm the expected decline in animal fears as predicted by the literature, but the other fears would appear to comply with the body of research for the content of the late adolescents’ expressed fears. These fears were more diverse in nature and the ten highest ranked categories accounted for about 70% of the fears expressed. Statistically significant gender differences were found in terms of Dark/Night, Being Alone, Violence/Crime, Separation and Relational Problems. The expected decline in the number of expressed fears was not confirmed as the average number of fears per participant increased slightly from the retrospective profile to the current profile. There was no significant difference with regard to gender. The secondary aim of this study was to establish whether any of the expressed fears have remained constant from the retrospective profile to the current profile. The fear of Animals appeared to be one fear that, rather than decline with age, remained stable. Other fears that appeared to show continuity were related to Harm to Self and Harm to Others. Fear of Being Alone appeared in both the retrospective and current expressed profiles for females only. A fear that was indicated in the literature to be relevant at the late adolescent stage of development was the fear of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. This study found no evidence to support these predictions, which is a thought-provoking problem. Although beyond the scope of this study, the implications of this apparent lack of fear for a life-threatening problem of epidemic proportions particularly for this age group, is of concern.

Thesis (MA)-- Stellenbosch University, 2010. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The experience of fear is a normal phenomenon in the development of children. However, the often marginalised population of children with visual impairments, is one which has been neglected in past fear research. As far as could be ascertained, no research assessing the fears of children with visual impairments has been carried out the past 18 years, and studies within the South African context are non-existent. Previous research has suggested that children, who have a physical disability, are more prone to the development of a psychopathology than their non-disabled peers. It has also been suggested that, due to their physical limitations, children with visual impairments would express a higher prevalence of anxiety and fear. Therefore it is important to identify these children's fears, to enable those involved in their day-to-day lives to gain a greater understanding of their emotional world. The present study aimed to determine whether significant differences exist between the fear profiles of middle-childhood South African children with visual impairments when compared to their sighted counterparts. A differential research design was employed, and results were examined across the four independent variables of gender, age, culture, and vision. A total of 129 assenting children from three schools in the Western Cape participated in the present study, including 67 children with varying degrees of visual impairments, and 62 gender- and age-matched controls. All the children were administered a short biographical questionnaire and Burkhardt's (2007) child friendly South African Fear Survey Schedule for Children (FSSC-SA). The administration of these measures was adapted according to the children's degree of visual impairment. Results of the FSSC-SA indicated that the most feared item for the children with visual impairments was “Fire - getting burned”, while the children without visual impairments feared “Getting HIV” the most. The 10 most common fears related mainly to situations in which the possibility of danger and harm is present, with the majority of fears loading onto Factor I (fear of danger and death) of the FSSC-SA. Consistent with previous research, gender differences were apparent across number, level, and pattern of fear, with girls consistently being more fearful than boys. There was no significant relationship between age or culture and self-reported fear. In terms of the three sub-groups of visually impaired children, the children with severe visual impairment reported the highest number and level of fear. However, in general terms, the fear profiles of the two overall groups (children with and children without visual impairments) did not differ significantly, thus showing that the worlds, in which these children live, are not as different as was originally anticipated. In conclusion the present study's contributions as well as shortcomings are discussed, along with recommendations for future research. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Vrees is 'n normale ervaring tydens die ontwikkeling van kinders, alhoewel die gemarginaliseerde populasie van kinders met visuele gestremdhede een is wat dikwels in navorsing oor vrees afgeskeep is. So ver as wat die navorser kon vasstel, is geen studies oor hierdie populasie die afgelope 18 jaar uitgevoer nie, en studies binne die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks bestaan glad nie. Vorige navorsing stel voor dat kinders met gestremdhede meer geneig is tot die ontwikkeling van psigopatologie as kinders sonder 'n gestremdheid in hul portuurgroep. Daar is ook voorgestel dat kinders met visuele gestremdhede as gevolg van hul fisieke beperkinge meer vrees en angs sal toon. Dit is dus belangrik om hierdie kinders se vrese te identifiseer, sodat die mense wat by hul alledaagse lewe betrokke is, 'n beter begrip vir hul emosionele wêreld kan hê. Die doel van die onderhawige studie was om vas te stel of daar beduidende verskille tussen die vreesprofiele van middelkinderjare-kinders met visuele gestremdhede bestaan in vergelyking met hul siende portuurs. Die studie het 'n differensiële navorsingsontwerp gevolg, en die resultate is bestudeer aan die hand van vier onafhanklike veranderlikes, naamlik geslag, ouderdom, kultuur en visie. 'n Totaal van 129 instemmende kinders van drie skole in die Wes-Kaap het deelgeneem aan die onderhawige studie. Die steekproef het 67 kinders met verskillende vlakke van visuele gestremdheid ingesluit, sowel as 62 kinders van vergelykbare ouderdom en geslag in die kontrolegroep. Die deelnemers moes 'n kort biografiese vraelys invul, sowel as Burkhardt (2007) se kindervriendelike Suid-Afrikaanse Vreesopnameskedule vir Kinders (FSSC-SA). Die toepassing van die meetinstrumente is aangepas volgens die kinders se graad van visuele gestremdheid. Resultate van die FSSC-SA het getoon dat kinders met visuele gestremdhede die meeste vrees getoon het vir “Vuur - om te verbrand”, terwyl die mees gevreesde item vir die kinders sonder visuele gestremdhede, die vrees “Om MIV op te doen” was. Die 10 algemeenste vrese het veral verband gehou met situasies waar daar 'n moontlikheid bestaan van gevaar of seerkry, en die meeste van hierdie items het meestal op Faktor I (vrees vir gevaar en die dood) gelaai. In ooreenstemming met vorige navorsing, het geslagsverskille duidelik geblyk ten opsigte van die aantal, vlak en patroon van vrees, met dogters wat konsekwent meer vrees as seuns vermeld het. Daar was geen beduidende verhouding tussen ouderdom of kultuur en self-gerapporteerde vrese nie. Ten opsigte van die drie subgroepe waarin die kinders met visuele gestremdhede ingedeel was, het die kinders met 'n ernstige visuele gestremdheid die hoogste aantal en vlakke van vrees gerapporteer. Oor die algemeen het die vreesprofiele van die twee oorhoofse groepe (kinders met en kinders sonder visuele gestremdhede) nie beduidend verskil nie, en dus blyk dit dat die wêrelde waarin hierdie twee groepe leef, nie so verskillend is as wat aanvanklik gedink is nie. Ten slotte, word die waarde en tekortkominge van die onderhawige studie bespreek, sowel as aanbevelings vir toekomstige navorsing voorgestel.

Thesis (MSc)--University of Stellenbosch, 2002. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The primary aim of this study was to determine the content, number, level and pattern of fears expressed by a culturally diverse selected group of middle childhood children in the Stellenbosch area. The secondary aim of this study was to establish whether there were any differences in the fears expressed with respect to culture, gender and socio-econmic status (SES) as well as to ascertain any differences with respect to the two fear measuring instruments. The two fear measuring instruments administered were the Free-Option Method (FOM) and the Fear Survey Schedule for Children Revised (FSSC-R). The FOM was used to determine the content and number of fears and the structured FSSC-R, to establish the content, number, level and pattern of fears. A predominantly quantitative method of data collection was used. In all, three questionnaires were completed by 404 middle childhood children between the ages of 8 and 12 years, attending four primary schools in the Stellenbosch area. These questionnaires comprised of the Biographical questionnaire, the FOM and the FSSC-R and were administered in the same order as mentioned. The data was also analysed in a quantitative manner. Culture was defined in the terms of the main representative cultural communities III the Stellenbosch area, namely, black, white and coloured South African children. The content of fears based on the results of the FOM yielded only a few similarities upon comparisons to the findings of previous studies. This, however, may be due to variations in the methodology of the FOM among studies. Similarities were found regarding the content of fears based on the FSSC-R results implying that certain fears are universal. The fear of crime or crime related aspects featured among the ten 11:0stcommon fears for all the children regardless of the measuring instrument used. The number and level of fears for the three cultural groups were the highest for the black South African children, followed by the coloured South African children while the white South African children displayed the lowest number and level of fears. The number and level of fears for all three cultures were generally higher than found elsewhere in the world according to previous studies. The pattern of fear was similar for all three cultures. Gender differences for all three cultures were consistent with preVIOUS research with girls expressing more fears than boys. Girls also displayed a higher level of fears on all the five factors than the boys. The number and level of fears was the highest for children coming from lower SES background than those coming from higher SES background. Difficulties were experienced with regard to sample size and SES and a caution to use the results regarding SES as only tentative guidelines is given. The similarities between the results on the two measuring instruments, the FOM and the FSSC-R, were sparse emphasising a need for the development of emic assessment tools. In the conclusion, recommendations for future studies are provided. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die prim ere doel van die onderhawige studie was om die inhoud, aantal, vlak en patroon van uitgesproke vrese deur 'n kultureel diverse geselekteerde groep van kinders in die middelkinderjare in die Stellenboscharea, te bepaal. Die sekondere doel van die onderhawige studie was om vas te stel of daar verskille was in die uitgesproke vrese wat uitgedruk is met betrekking tot kultuur, geslag en sosio-ekonomiese status (SES), sowel as die vergelyking tussen die twee meetinstrumente vir vrese. Die twee meetinstrumente wat toegepas is, is die "Free Option Method" (FOM) en die "Fear Survey for Children Revised" (FSSC-R). Die FOM was gebruik om die inhoud en aantal vrese te bepaal, terwyl die FSSC-R gebruik was om die inhoud, aantal, vlak en patroon van vrese te bepaal. 'n Oorwegende kwantitatiewe metode van data insameling is gebruik in hierdie studie. In totaal is drie vraelyste beantwoord deur 404 kinders in die middelkinderjare tussen die ouderdomme van 8 en 12 jaar, wat tans vier primere skole in die Stellenbosch area bywoon. Die drie vraelyste bestaan uit die Biografiese vraeIys, die FOM en die FSSC-R en is toegepas in die voorafgaande volgorde. Die data is ook kwantitatief geanaliseer. Kultuur is omskryf in terme van die hoof verteenwoordigende kultuurgemeenskappe III die Stellenbosch area, naamlik: swart, wit en kleurling Suid-Afrikaanse kinders. Die inhoud van die vrese wat op die resultate van die FOM gebaseer is, het weinig ooreengestem met ander navorsingsbevindings. Die verskynsel kan heeIwaarskynlik toegeskryf word aan die wisselende metodiek van die FOM in navorsing. 'n Groot mate van ooreenstemming met betrekking tot die inhoud van vrese wat gebaseer is op die FSSC-R resuitate, is bevind met betrekking tot verwante navorsing. Die implikasie hiervan is dat sekere vrese wel universeel is. Vrese vir geweld of geweiddadige aspekte het gefigureer onder die tien mees algemene vrese vir al die kinders, ongeag die meetintrument wat toegepas is. Die aantal en viak van vrese vir die ver~killende kuItuurgroepe was die hoogste vir die swart Suid-Afrikaanse kinders, gevoig deur die van die kleurling Suid- Afrikaanse kinders, terwyI die wit Suid-Afrikaanse kinders met die Iaagste aantal en vlak van vrese gepresenteer het. Die aantal en viak van uitgesproke vrese vir al drie kultuurgroepe was oor die algemeen hoer as die van navorsingbevindinge elders in die wereld. Die patroon van vrese was egter dieselfde vir die drie kultuurgroepe. Geslagverskille ten opsigte van al drie kultuurgroepe is in ooreenstemming met ander navorsingsresultate bevind. Meisies het, vergeleke met seuns, meer vrese, sowel as 'n hoer vlak van vrese op al vyf faktore van die FSSC-R getoon. Kinders vanuit 'n laer SES agtergrond het 'n groter aantal, sowel as hoer vlak van vrese ervaar as kinders vanuit 'n hoer SES agtergrond. As gevolg van die probleme wat ondervind is met die steekproefgrootte en die bepaling van SES, word gemaan om die resultate met betrekking tot SES net as tentatiewe riglyne te interpreteer. Daar was baie min ooreenstemming tussen die resultate van die twee meetinstrurnente, die FOM en die FSSC-R, wat die behoefte aan die ontwikkeling van gepaste meetintrurnente beklemtoon. Ten slotte word enkele riglyne vir verdere navorsing aanbeveel.

The topic of my thesis is "Environmental project and its use in a nursery school." All work is divided into three parts. In the first, theoretic passage, there is the project described with its important parts. It is also focused on environmental education, its brief characteristic and integration into the general educational programme for preschool education. A professional literature has been the source for this part of my work. The second, practical section, is aimed at children's familiarization with nature. Using games, picture materials and especially watching created the kids' awareness of natural environment. I aimed all activities in such a way that they were in harmony with the age and individual possibilities of children. Last chapter is the research part. This section conducts a survey of fear of nature in the case of preschool children. The final evaluation has generated many interesting findings.

The impact of information on children’s and adolescents’ appraisals and coping responses in a simulated fire emergency situation was examined. Seventy-six third graders, and 70 eighth graders were randomly assigned to one of three groups: Changeable, Unchangeable, and Control. All subjects were exposed to a simulated fire emergency Situation. Children and adolescents in the Changeable group were told that they would not likely get burned and that they could change the situation. However, in the Unchangeable group, children and adolescents were told that they would likely get burned and that there was little that they could do to change the situation. Finally, children and adolescents in the Control group were not given information related to their likelihood of getting burned or their ability to change the situation. All subjects were assessed on the Cognitive Behavioral Fire Emergency Response Checklist, a measure of coping, and on the Appraisal Rating Form, a measure of appraisal. The results indicated that children and adolescents in Unchangeable and Control groups exhibited more emotion (efforts directed at regulating their feelings) and fewer problem (efforts directed at changing the situation) focused coping than children and adolescents in the Changeable group. These findings are, in part, attributed to the type of information the groups received. Additionally, eighth graders exhibited more emotion and fewer problem focused coping than third graders. Eighth graders having greater observational learning opportunities than third graders is offered as a possible explanation for the above finding. Overall, the results suggest that information as well as age-related differences impact children’s and adolescents’ functioning in emergency situations. / Ph. D.

Childhood fears have been considered to be part of normal development. It is when these fears develop into severe fears or phobias that they become of concern to clinicians. Children's fears have varied over the years from school related fears, to political fears, to fears of danger and death in most recent years. Of the latter category, fear of fire-getting burned emerged as the second most commonly reported fear among children. The present study examines two cognitive self-instructional strategies to test their effectiveness in reducing children's fear of fire. Cognitive strategies were the ones of choice in that they remedied many of the problems found in some of the other behavioral techniques. Either of two self-instructional strategies including a fire safety training program using self-instructions and a self-instructional fear reduction strategy were taught to second and third grade children. A major hypothesis of the study was not confirmed which maintained that children who learned self-instructional fear reduction exercises would show greater reductions in fear than children who did not learn the exercises. Although these results were not evident immediately following training, a trend toward this expectation did appear at follow-up. These findings implied that although the cognitive self-control strategy was not effective in reducing children's fear immediately, it did tend to provide for greater maintenance of behavior change over time. The present study has implications for continued investigation in the areas of childhood fear reduction and the maintenance of behavior over time. / M.S.

Although fear is an integral part of normal human functioning, it is important to obtain knowledge of children’s normative fear and defence mechanism in order for parents and caregivers to understand and contribute towards mediating potentially stressful experiences of children in their care. This combined qualitative and quantitative study aimed to identify a dominant defence mechanism for children in their middle childhood in dealing with fear. In order to reach the aim of this study a conceptual framework was done exploring terms central to this study including: development in middle childhood, fear, coping mechanisms and defence mechanisms. Miller and Dollard’s learning theory as a theoretical perspective was applied to the study. Interviews were conducted with eleven children in the southern suburbs of Cape Town. The data was analyzed and several findings were identified and explored. Implications, limitations as well as suggestions are part of the concluding chapter of the report. / Sociology / M. Diac. (Play Therapy)

Thesis (DSc (Psychology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / Fears are a normal part of development but excessive fears may interfere with daily functioning and may reflect serious anxiety problems. In order to determine whether fears are excessive or not, as well as to implement prevention programmes, an assessment instrument is needed that is socially and scientifically relevant to the context in which the child lives. Furthermore, normative data is necessary in order to understand the concept of fear. The primary aim of the study was to develop a measuring instrument that is scientifically and socially relevant within the South African context. This entailed a qualitative stage where semi-structured interviews were conducted with 40 middle childhood children attending four local primary schools in the Stellenbosch area. These interviews were transcribed and analysed for emerging themes. The emerging themes were then added to the existing Fear Survey Schedule for Children-Revised (FSSC-R). Reliability analyses were conducted on the data obtained by the adapted FSSC-R. Item-total correlations and exploration of the item construct resulted in 23 items being deleted. The remaining items on the scale demonstrated good internal consistency (α = 0,97). The factor structure of the remaining items was explored by means of principal factor analysis with varimax rotation. Various factor solutions were explored and the five-factor solution was found to be the best conceptual fit for the data. The five factors are: Factor I-Fear of Danger and Death, Factor II-Fear of the Unknown, Factor III-Worries, Factor IV-Fear of Animals, Factor V-Situational Fears. The adapted scale is a South African version of Ollendick’s FSSC-R and is referred to as the FSSC-SA. The secondary aim was to determine the content, number, level and pattern of fear of a selected group of middle childhood South African children, living in the Western Cape, based on the results of the South African Fear Survey Schedule for Children (FSSC-SA). This entailed a quantitative stage. The adapted FSSC-R was completed by 646 middle childhood children between the ages of 7 and 12 years, attending four primary schools in the Stellenbosch area in the Western Cape Province. The participants were also requested to complete a biographical questionnaire before they completed the adapted FSSC-R. Culture was defined with respect to the main representative cultural communities in the Stellenbosch area, namely black, coloured and white. The results of the South African fear instrument indicate that the most feared item for the South African children is ‘getting HIV’. The ten most common fears indicate that fears are to a certain extent universal but that some fears also reflect the context in which a child lives. Furthermore the added items also featured among the most fear eliciting items suggest that these items reflect the societal concerns, issues and fears of South African children. Black South African children displayed the highest number as well as level of fear, followed by the coloured South African children and then the white South African children. This was also applicable to the pattern of fear. Gender differences are apparent with respect to number, level and pattern of fears with girls consistently expressing more fears than boys. This applies to all cultural groups. In conclusion, implications of the present study’s results in the South African context as well as shortcomings and recommendations for future studies are discussed.

Different family structures and levels of parental and financial stress were investigated in relation to children's overtly expressed fears, and secondarily, covertly measured fears and concerns. The family structures consisted of divorced and remarried families divided into those divorced less than two years and those divorced greater than two years. Intact families were used as the control group. One-hundred-twenty-one children from six to eleven years of age and their biological mothers from a semirural, southwestern town comprised the sample. The children were administered five instruments assessing overt fears, covert fears/concerns, and positiveness in family relationships. Mothers were given eight self-report measures which included a questionnaire, a report of their child's overt fears, and an indication of the positiveness in family relationships. Results indicated that the children of divorced, single mothers tended to report greater overt fears than remarried and intact families. Indications of covert fears of death and separation were also suggested. This was especially true for those single mothers divorced less than two years. Children of intact families did not generally differ from remarried groups although there were implications that remarriage too soon after divorce may impact covert fears as well as positive feelings toward the stepfather. Children of mothers reporting high levels of stress reported greater levels of overt fears than children of low stress mothers. Financial stress for mothers appeared to have greater implications for children's overt and covert fears than did parental stress. In contrast to the children of mothers reporting high levels of stress, mothers who reported low levels of stress tended to have children who reported fewer overt fears but greater covert fears and concerns. Recommendations for future research including adding parental measures to assess the coping styles as well as the effectiveness of such coping with divorce and remarriage, using different measures of overt and covert fears, and extending the study to include data from the biological fathers as well as families in which the father has custodial rights.

Although fear is an integral part of normal human functioning, it is important to obtain knowledge of children’s normative fear and defence mechanism in order for parents and caregivers to understand and contribute towards mediating potentially stressful experiences of children in their care. This combined qualitative and quantitative study aimed to identify a dominant defence mechanism for children in their middle childhood in dealing with fear. In order to reach the aim of this study a conceptual framework was done exploring terms central to this study including: development in middle childhood, fear, coping mechanisms and defence mechanisms. Miller and Dollard’s learning theory as a theoretical perspective was applied to the study. Interviews were conducted with eleven children in the southern suburbs of Cape Town. The data was analyzed and several findings were identified and explored. Implications, limitations as well as suggestions are part of the concluding chapter of the report. / Sociology / M. Diac. (Play Therapy)