No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

This study explored the relationship between religiosity, hope, and subjective well-being among a group of 430 participants (28.8% male, 88.4% black, 8.4% white) residing in the Gauteng Province South Africa. The sample consisted of students (n = 210) as well as family members of these students (n = 220). A cross-sectional quantitative survey design was used. Data was gathered using the Adult Trait-hope Scale, a three item measure of religiosity, the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), and the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS). Descriptive statistics were computed in SPSS 22. Following this, correlations between all latent variables were calculated in Mplus Version 7.11, where after latent variable modelling was performed. During this process, an initial measurement model was specified, which was examined for goodness of fit, and compared against two competing measurement models. The best fitting model was then subjected to a process of model development, and subsequently re-specified as a structural model. The fit of this model was again assessed and compared to two competing structural models. Finally, indirect effects between religiosity, hope, and subjective well-being (comprised of positive affect, negative affect, and life satisfaction) were investigated. The results revealed that religiosity was a significant predictor of both agency and pathway hope, and that the strength of this relationship was moderate in the case of agency hope, and weak in the case of pathway hope. In turn, agency hope predicted higher levels of life satisfaction and positive affect, and lowered levels of negative affect. However, with the exception of positive affect (with which it was positively associated), pathway hope was not related to any of the subjective well-being variables, suggesting that it is less significantly associated with subjective well-being than agency hope. The results of the mediation analysis revealed that agency hope acted as a significant mediator of the relationship between religiosity and life satisfaction, positive affect, and negative affect. Pathway hope mediated the relationship between religiosity and positive affect. These results suggest that the elevated levels of subjective well-being often found in relation to religiosity can at least in part be attributed to the fact that religion is associated with elevated levels of hope. The mini-dissertation is concluded with a chapter that outlines the conclusions and limitations related to the study, and on this basis, several recommendations were proposed for future research and practical application of the findings. / MA (Positive Psychology), North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2014

This study explored the relationship between religiosity, hope, and subjective well-being among a group of 430 participants (28.8% male, 88.4% black, 8.4% white) residing in the Gauteng Province South Africa. The sample consisted of students (n = 210) as well as family members of these students (n = 220). A cross-sectional quantitative survey design was used. Data was gathered using the Adult Trait-hope Scale, a three item measure of religiosity, the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), and the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS). Descriptive statistics were computed in SPSS 22. Following this, correlations between all latent variables were calculated in Mplus Version 7.11, where after latent variable modelling was performed. During this process, an initial measurement model was specified, which was examined for goodness of fit, and compared against two competing measurement models. The best fitting model was then subjected to a process of model development, and subsequently re-specified as a structural model. The fit of this model was again assessed and compared to two competing structural models. Finally, indirect effects between religiosity, hope, and subjective well-being (comprised of positive affect, negative affect, and life satisfaction) were investigated. The results revealed that religiosity was a significant predictor of both agency and pathway hope, and that the strength of this relationship was moderate in the case of agency hope, and weak in the case of pathway hope. In turn, agency hope predicted higher levels of life satisfaction and positive affect, and lowered levels of negative affect. However, with the exception of positive affect (with which it was positively associated), pathway hope was not related to any of the subjective well-being variables, suggesting that it is less significantly associated with subjective well-being than agency hope. The results of the mediation analysis revealed that agency hope acted as a significant mediator of the relationship between religiosity and life satisfaction, positive affect, and negative affect. Pathway hope mediated the relationship between religiosity and positive affect. These results suggest that the elevated levels of subjective well-being often found in relation to religiosity can at least in part be attributed to the fact that religion is associated with elevated levels of hope. The mini-dissertation is concluded with a chapter that outlines the conclusions and limitations related to the study, and on this basis, several recommendations were proposed for future research and practical application of the findings. / MA (Positive Psychology), North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2014

Psychological and behavioral characteristics of female undergraduates with varying levels of disordered eating, as measured by the Questionnaire for Eating Disorder Diagnoses (Q-EDD; Mintz, O'Halloran, Mulholland, & Schneider, 1997), were investigated. Results suggest that the Q-EDD is an appropriate instrument for measuring eating disorder symptomatology. Greater disordered eating was associated with more bulimic, dieting, and weight fluctuation symptoms, higher impression management and approval-seeking needs, more dichotomous thinking, self control, and rigid weight regulation, and increased concern with body shape and dissatisfaction with facial features. Eating-disordered and symptomatic women evidenced more severe eating disorder behaviors and psychological distress than asymptomatic women. Findings are congruent with a redefined discontinuity perspective of eating disorder symptomatology. Treatment implications and campus-wide preventions are suggested.

Abstract Self- perception is defined as the “distinctive combination of personality characteristics and social style by which one defines oneself and by which one is recognized by others” In children, self-perception can influence how they will approach a new situation, whether that is in school, at home, or a public outing with their family. Our study aims to expand on this research by defining the relationships between proximal influences, global self- worth, self- perception, behavioral conduct and how youth’s temperament influences these variables. We will be using the Rothbart Temperament Questionnaire and the Susan Harter Self- Perception Profiles to obtain data for our study. We hypothesize that youth’s temperament will affect two specific domains on the Susan Harter Self- Perception Profiles. We found that based on parents’ reports of their child’s temperament, a higher level of negative affectivity decreases the child report of self-perceived behavioral conduct.

It is a widely assumed principle that organisms reflexively approach possibilities for pleasure and avoid possibilities for pain. However, highly evolved organisms not only reflexively react to future possibilities of pleasure vs. pain, but also evaluate the chance or risk of actually experiencing such possibilities. Given the import of optimism judgments in shaping behavior and other outcomes, the main goal of the current research was to examine the relationship between the rudimentary systems of approach-avoidance that orient us toward possible outcomes in the environment and the higher-order optimism judgments we make when evaluating whether such outcomes are likely to occur. To this end, two experiments examined the impact of approach-avoidance cues in shaping participants' optimism judgments about experiencing positive and negative future life events. For the primary operationalization of approach-avoidance, college student participants engaged in arm flexion (a motor movement associated with approach) or arm extension (a motor movement associated with avoidance) while simultaneously making optimism judgments about experiencing a range of positive and negative events in the future. A secondary operationalization involved correlations computed between participants' chronic personality tendencies related to approach-avoidance (e.g., positive vs. negative affectivity) and their optimism judgments. The results of these experiments revealed complexities in the relationship between approach-avoidance and optimism, suggesting that when, how and why approach-avoidance cues will shape optimism may critically depend upon 1) the specific operationalization of approach-avoidance, 2) how optimism is measured, and 3) characteristics of the outcomes under consideration. Explanations for the complexities in the results are offered, and attempts are made to link the current work to broader theoretical and practical aspects of the connection between approach-avoidance and optimism.