In December 2004, at the SoDIS® (Software Development Impact Statements) symposium in Auckland, an industry certification as a method of credentialing teachers and analysis of SoDIS was mooted. SoDIS, a process of ethics-based risk assessment and analysis of downstream risk to project and software stakeholders, including the public, is currently in the process of progressing from prototype to commercial product. Certification was proposed to ensure the integrity of the process and the quality of service to stakeholders.Certification sponsored by industry, commercial organisation, or professional association (collectively referred to as industry certification, or certification) has been a form of credentialing for over half a century. Industry certification was adopted by the IT industry when Novell, Inc. began testing and certifying IT industry and IT network professionals in 1986 (Cosgrove, 2004; Novell, 1996). Global certification testing centres were established in 1990 by Drake International (now Thomson Prometric) (Foster, 2005).During the 1990s, industry certification became a veritable juggernaut: a "multi-billion dollar business" (Cosgrove, 2004, p. 486), an industry that has arisen in its own right (Adelman, 2000) and driven by several dynamics (Hitchcock, 2005). In 2000 there were over 300 discrete IT certifications with approximately 1.6 million individuals holding approximately 2.4 million IT certifications (Aldelman, 2000). The total number of available certifications is impossible to quantify (Knapp & Gallery, 2003). Many academic institutions both at tertiary and secondary level are integrating industry certification, especially IT certification, into their curricula.Is industry certification, however, a pedagogically robust form of credentialing? Does it have value to its stakeholders? Is it an appropriate form of credentialing for the SoDIS process? This research, using both Phenomenography and Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) as a joint methodology, focuses on the experiences of actors with the phenomenon of industry certification and extracts both the essence of the understanding and perceptions of the value and validity of industry certification, and the essence of industry certification itself.Due to the vast amount of literature found describing industry actors' perceptions of and experiences within the phenomenon, the research is predominantly literature-based. Further data was collected from interviews with a small, purposive sample of industry certification holders and employers, with the research further informed by my own experiences within the domain which is the focus of the research. The methodology paradigm is interpretive: the research aims to interpret the social construction that is the phenomenon of industry certification.While this research does not attempt to single out specific industry certifications to determine their value or pedagogical robustness, the findings suggest that, in general, well designed and well administered certifications with integrity and rigour of assessment processes, are indeed pedagogically sound, with significant value. The research identifies both benefit and criticism elements of typical certifications, along with elements of the various certification programmes categorised into standard (typical), and more rigorous (less typical) certification programmes.The research develops and presents a paradigm for building an appropriate vendor specific or vendor neutral certification programme that is pedagogically sound with value for its stakeholders. The contrasts and complementary aspects of industry certification and academic qualifications are highlighted. It is therefore concluded, and supported by data from the interviews, that such a credential is indeed appropriate for teachers and analysts of SoDIS.

Background: Personality Disorder treatment is a contentious subject in health care. Despite available research concerning the diagnosis itself and also available treatments, there is little research regarding treatment thresholds or defining how treatment decisions can be formulated. This problem has been identified by clinicians, patients, supervisors and specific organisations, particularly linked to recent healthcare changes associated with austerity measures. Research Question: How can mental health care staff use a formulated decision process concerning therapeutic interventions for people with PD, when considering the recent service changes and rationalisation of available treatments? Methods: An Action Research study has been conducted over a four year period, using predominantly qualitative methods including: a hermeneutic literature review (n=144 papers), patient questionnaires (n=15) and Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) of clinician and supervisor semi-structured interviews (n=10). Results: Difficulties have been found when making decisions with people who either do not accept their diagnosis and/or do not accept the current evidence-based treatments for personality disorder. Other challenges have been identified regarding the patient/clinician relationship, the level of distress the patient presents with, and also the clinician view concerning the individual, the diagnosis, and the available treatments. The IPA produced five super-ordinate themes related to decision-making regarding treatment choices for people with personality disorder, including: difficulties with boundary management, diagnostic stigma, a focus upon time, metacognitive ability, and the potential for iatrogenic harm. Conclusions: Multiple factors require consideration when examining treatment choices for people with a personality disorder, concerning the patient's individual symptom profile, needs, attitude towards treatments; the clinician's profession, attitudes, opinions, and wellness on the day of the assessment, and also the treatments available within the locality. A diagram has been presented summarising these formulation factors. Recommendations have been made based upon the results, analysis, synthesis and discussion sections, indicating potential practice changes and areas for future research.

This research examined how men and women experience stress and coping during the early stages ofIVF, focusing on time, gender and couples. Both members of three heterosexual couples took part separately in two or three semi-structured interviews over a six-month period, producing fourteen accounts. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was used to preserve participants' unique experiences alongside interpretation and generation of broader themes by the researcher. Infertility and fertility treatment were not always seen as stressful, but often as a problem to be tackled in the best way, both emotionally and practically. Stress arose from specific, time-limited issues. Participants' emotional responses were shaped by perceptions of the effect of stress on fertility, a desire to stay positive, and downward comparison with other fertility patients who were perceived to be coping poorly. Participants emphasised their choices as logical, careful decisions, weighing up multiple factors including alternatives like adoption, and temporal and financial investments. Over time, perceptions of IVF changed from a precise, technical process to one subject to luck-and chance, although the process itself was perceived as becoming easier with experience. The study was originally positioned within the transactional stress and coping model, but a self-regulatory perspective provided a better fit for the data The fmdings are linked to each model where appropriate, and the implications suggest use of the transactional model to understanding specific, time- limited events, and a self-regulatory framework to explore general fertility treatment experiences. Suggestions for future work include greater use of the self-regulatory framework to study infertility and fertility treatment; paying attention to couples' willingness to adopt in shaping infertility experiences; conducting interviews at different times during treatment cycles, and during different treatment cycles; and using alternative data gathering methods including Internet Mediated Research.

Background: This thesis explores, in-depth, the experience and sense-making of transactional analyst psychotherapists working with clients who present with Internet addiction (IA). It engages with the therapist’s broad experience and understanding of Internet addiction presentation, therapeutic assessment, ‘diagnosis’ and ‘treatment’ rather than the singular experience, expression, and meaning-making of the individual client. Method: As a counselling psychologist trainee, I was particularly interested in sampling highly experienced therapists, with an extensive range of skills developed through a robust clinical training. Four therapist participants, all professional members of the European Association of Transactional Analysis (EATA), were interviewed using semi-structured, one-to-one interviews and the material was analysed using interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA). Findings and Discussion: Four higher-order concepts emerged within this study. They concerned: the complexity of IA; aetiological and predisposing factors; functions and features of IA; and treatment factors. Practical and theoretical implications for future research, clinical supervision, treatment, psycho-educational and political programmes are presented. Of the key emergent findings the Internet was understood by participants as a conduit or medium for addiction given a high prevalence of an underlying ‘disorders’. All of the participants believed in the existence of childhood aetiological roots which underpinned comorbidity with IA. Attachment difficulties in childhood would often predispose individuals to develop issues around loneliness, low self-esteem, control, loss and instability, and cognitive dissonance later in life. Participants believed a relationship existed between depression, low self-esteem and escapism as contributing factors. Conclusion: A systematic review of the extant research is proposed, along with quantitative studies to specifically evaluate the strength of this relationship. Further empirical research is particularly recommended to explore how these factors can predispose individuals to developing sub-types of IA, and especially in the context of historic childhood abuse and / or neglect. The complex nature and aetiology of IA can demand a high level of clinical expertise from professionals who would benefit from specific trainings concerning childhood attachment difficulties. Integrating a psychodynamic approach, or being aware of transference processes, could possibly enhance treatment effectiveness, and help safeguard both clients and therapists from counter-therapeutic interventions.

This study explored the subjective interpretations of five adolescent athletes who experienced a sport-specific version of the Mindfulness-Acceptance-Commitment (MAC) approach. The MAC approach is an alternative sport psychology intervention to more traditional control-driven approaches, such as Psychological Skills Training (PST). An in-depth qualitative study was conducted at the High Performance Centre (hpc) of the University of Pretoria (UP). The sport-specific MAC programme was developed for the sport of athletics. The programme was facilitated to five adolescent athletes who participate in the sport of athletics. Semi-structured interviews were conducted after the participants experienced the programme. The interviews were based on written reflections provided by participants during the programme. The research position for this study was phenomenology, and specifically Interpretive Phenomenology (IP). Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was used to analyse the material. The results revealed that there was only one theme that was common to all five participants. Furthermore, the results portrayed diversity amongst the participant experiences and subjectivity in their interpretations of the MAC approach. The results displayed how some themes are consistent with MAC-related literature, and how other themes contradict the literature. Additionally, some themes have not been reported in MAC literature before. Thus, the study contributed to the expansion of literature on the MAC approach. / Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / lk2014 / Psychology / MA / Unrestricted

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1 Abstract Published researches show that loneliness negatively affects mental and physical health and occurs across all age groups. However, the area of loneliness has not been sufficiently explored in the Czech context, and there are still not enough studies on a global scale focusing on loneliness in people with mental illness. This work therefore contributes to the opening of this issue from the perspective of social work, which can respond well to the challenges that loneliness brings to the lives of people with mental illness. In the theoretical part I deal with the definition of a group of diagnoses called "serious mental illnesses". A common feature of diagnoses from this group is a serious disruption of normal and social functioning of the individual. Subsequently, I define loneliness, its types and theoretical framework, which provides an insight into the issue. Furthermore, I present the basic researched areas, which are followed by abstracts of studies with focus on loneliness in people with mental illness. The aim of the thesis was to answer the main research question: "How do people with serious mental illness experience loneliness?" It was answered using interpretive phenomenological analysis, which offers a flexible approach to research and gives space for respondent's interpretation. The...

Existing literature indicates that education is vital to overcoming poverty, yet educational prospects for those in persistent, generational poverty (GP) are often limited. This qualitative phenomenological study centered on the emergence from GP of individuals without formal education beyond 12th grade or a high school equivalency certificate, and explored how those who have done it perceived their experiences. Rutter's resilience theory was the conceptual framework for examining this phenomenon and its challenges and processes. A sample of five adult participants from the United States were recruited using a snowball method, completed a screening survey, and then participated in in-depth interviews. The multiple case study structure provided biographical narratives for each participant that thoroughly described the phenomenon. Analysis was done via interpretive phenomenological analysis which relied on careful scrutiny of the data and a full grasp of how the phenomenon was understood and experienced by participants in their unique contexts. Results indicated many parallels among the narratives. All participants reported GP-related anxiety during childhood and/or adolescence; each recalled the positive presence of at least one influential non-family member as critical to personal growth; and all reported positivity, work ethic, and personal agency as keys to emergence from GP. This conclusion of this study indicated the need for a model for the emergence from GP of individuals without formal secondary education. The social change implications are the potential development of mentoring programs based on the participants' perceived replicability of their accomplishments and their willingness to share their experiences in order to foster self-agency and self-advocacy among children and adolescents in GP.

The characteristic of hope, and the construct of well-being, both as topics of investigation, have incited scientific interest and inquiry in the university student population. However, not much enthusiasm is evident in the international student population. Furthermore, there is a dearth of literature on the subject matter in the South African context. This qualitative study aims to investigate the role of hope in well-being by focusing on the experiences of international students living at the University of Pretoria residences. An interpretative phenomenological analysis, utilised as the study's methodology, focused on the lived worlds of the participants and endeavoured to capture rich understandings of their experiences. The study is rooted in a positive psychological framework and its propositions. Purposive sampling was used to identify and select participants, and three international students participated in the study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to obtain their narrative accounts. Their transcripts were analysed following the guidelines specified within the interpretative phenomenological analysis. As a product of this analysis method, the study results were presented as descriptive, connected themes. The themes, as emerged, were adjustment to university; experiences of marginalisation, violence, and discrimination in residences and lectures; optimising well-being and thriving at the University of Pretoria; and subjective experiences of hope as contributing to well-being. The research found that international students resort to their various innate strengths and environmental resources of support to help them thrive at their host university during adversity in adjusting to a foreign university. Hope further contributed to this aspect and optimised their well-being while living at the university residence. This empowered them to attain their academic goals. / Mini Dissertation (MA (Counselling Psychology))--University of Pretoria, 2021. / Psychology / MA (Counselling Psychology) / Unrestricted

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