This thesis began largely as an exploration into right-wing political ideology and its relationship to The Authoritarian Personality proposed by Adorno, Frenkel-Brunswick, Levinson and Sanford (1950). It had initially been envisaged that contemporary examples would manifest themselves within many neo-Fascist or ‘White Pride’ style organisations and as an adage to their supposed historical underpinnings, would therefore be representative of modern day authoritarianism. As previously discovered by Eysenck and Coulter (1974) in their examination of British Fascists and Communists, the authoritarian syndrome is somewhat more complex to explain by way of reference to a number of radical semi-political organisations. Subsequently, the thesis was to take on a deeper and more philosophical direction as various parts of the literature were analysed and critiqued. And indeed to some extent the original proposal was abandoned in favour of a richer and more conceptual approach to our understanding of authoritarianism. This was discovered to be distinctly missing from the majority of the current literature in the field.

This thesis began largely as an exploration into right-wing political ideology and its relationship to The Authoritarian Personality proposed by Adorno, Frenkel-Brunswick, Levinson and Sanford (1950). It had initially been envisaged that contemporary examples would manifest themselves within many neo-Fascist or ‘White Pride’ style organisations and as an adage to their supposed historical underpinnings, would therefore be representative of modern day authoritarianism. As previously discovered by Eysenck and Coulter (1974) in their examination of British Fascists and Communists, the authoritarian syndrome is somewhat more complex to explain by way of reference to a number of radical semi-political organisations. Subsequently, the thesis was to take on a deeper and more philosophical direction as various parts of the literature were analysed and critiqued. And indeed to some extent the original proposal was abandoned in favour of a richer and more conceptual approach to our understanding of authoritarianism. This was discovered to be distinctly missing from the majority of the current literature in the field.

Master of Science / Department of Psychology / Donald A. Saucier / Researchers have yet to examine how trait sensation seeking and state positive affect combine to influence participation in risky behaviors. This study examined how participant levels of sensation seeking and positive affect interacted to influence participant interest in performing a risky behavior. It was hypothesized that an interaction between sensation seeking and positive affect would be found, such that high sensation seekers low in positive affect would show more interest in participating in a risky activity than high sensation seekers that were high in positive affect or all participants low in sensation seeking, regardless of positive affect. Trait sensation seeking was measured in an initial group of participants (N = 693), using a subscale of the Zuckerman-Kuhlman Personality Questionnaire (Zuckerman Kuhlman, Joireman, Teta, & Kraft, 1993). Using these scores, high and low sensation seekers (N = 99) were invited to a second study, where videos were used to manipulate levels of state positive affect (Hemenover, 2003). Participants were then given a questionnaire to measure interest in participating in a risky drug study. No interaction was found, but a main effect for sensation seeking (Zuckerman, 1971) was discovered, such that high sensation seekers reported more interest in participating in a risky behavior than low sensation seekers. Therefore, it appears that participant interest in risky behaviors was a function of levels of trait sensation seeking. It is possible that problems with data collection or the risk-taking scenario contributed to the inability to support the hypothesis.

Master of Science / Department of Psychology / Mark A. Barnett / The term “moral rebel” describes an individual who refuses to comply, remain silent, or conform to others when doing so would compromise his or her values. Although researchers have identified individuals whose moral judgments reflect an adherence to “individual principles and conscience,” little attention has been given to the assessment, correlates, and perceptions of individuals who follow their own moral convictions despite considerable social pressure not to do so. The present study examined (1) the extent to which adolescents, peers, and teachers agree in their ratings of adolescents’ tendencies to be a moral rebel, (2) some characteristics potentially associated with differences in adolescents’ tendencies to be a moral rebel, and (3) the extent to which adolescents’ attitudes toward a moral rebel (vs. a non-moral rebel) are influenced by their own level of “moral rebelness” (as assessed by self, peers, and teachers). Results revealed significant positive correlations among all of the self-report, peer, and teacher ratings of moral rebelness for the entire sample (and for male and female participants considered separately). Contrary to predictions, self-report, peer and teacher ratings of adolescents’ moral rebelness were not robustly associated with any individual difference variable. Generally, adolescents reported relatively favorable attitudes toward a moral rebel (compared to a non-moral rebel), especially when they themselves had heightened ratings on this characteristic. The implications and limitations of the present findings, as well as directions for future research on the topic of moral rebelness in adolescents, are addressed.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Psychology / Clive J. A. Fullagar / New scales were developed to measure conflict between work and school and family and school. These scales displayed adequate psychometric properties. A scale was developed to measure the propensity to experience inter-role conflict. The Propensity for Inter-role Conflict Scale (PIRCS) has excellent psychometric properties as established through exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis and scale and item analysis. PIRCS scores mediated the relationship between 14 of the 15 inter-role conflict to inter-role conflict pairs and displayed incremental validity, beyond known correlates of inter-role conflict, in the prediction of the six forms of inter-role conflict included in the study. The consequences of inter-role conflict were shown to affect the frequency of conflict between roles. However, this was only true when the data were aggregated. This indicates people take deliberate actions to limit certain forms of inter-role conflict. The boundaries between roles are differentially permeable. The work role boundary was most resistant to inter-role conflict. The family role boundary was least resistant to conflict from other roles. Personal characteristics affected the amount of inter-role conflict a person experienced. Women experienced significantly more conflict between family and school and school and family than men. Women were more adversely affected by the presence of children in the home than were men. Work conditions were also related to the experience of inter-role conflict. Working more hours was associated with higher levels of work-to-family and work-to-school conflict. Participants who worked weekends reported higher levels of work-to-family and work-to-school conflict. Employees who perceived greater flexibility at work reported less work-to-family and work-to-school conflict than those with less flexibility. The more semester hours participants were taking, the more conflict they reported between family and school, school and family and work and school. Spending more time on homework and study was associated with higher levels of conflict from school to family. The spillover of conflict between spouses was also demonstrated. The more hours a participant‟s spouse worked the more conflict the participant experienced from family to school and school to family.

The problem investigated in this research, comprising 2 studies, concerned factors influencing successful transition to retirement. Study 1 employed a survey methodology to explore the effects of demographics, involvement in activities, and the use of effective coping strategies/styles on depression-happiness levels.Study 2, emerged from the findings of Study 1. Comprising 84 participants, it used an experimental design, and investigated whether retirees could develop coping strategies to enhance happiness. Participants were matched according to their Depression Happiness Scale scores, and then one from each pair was randomly assigned either to a treatment group or to a control group.Implications from the research are that a coping skills program can be successful in enhancing happiness levels, and it may be beneficial to include happiness indicators in government social policies. Results obtained increased the understanding of factors contributing to a healthy adjustment in the later years of life.

Background. Because there have been few studies examining resilience associated with postnatal (PN) depression, this study aimed at formulating and testing a theory-based model integrating both traditional resilience paradigms and non-traditional factors including existential beliefs about life, motherhood and religion. Method. Study hypotheses addressed prediction of PN depression, stress and resilience, and the confounding influence of negative affectivity (neuroticism). Study variables included PN depression (Edinburgh PN Depression Scale, EPDS), stress, neuroticism, self-esteem, mother's distress and ambivalence, purpose/meaning, religious belief, parity, age, marital and social status. They were assessed with standardized self-report instruments and, following a pilot, administered to a probability sample of women four months postpartum in a one-wave, community, postal survey. Because the overall response rate was so low (49%) only the Europeans were included in the study (N = 225; response-rate = 78%). Statistical hypothesis-testing included linear and logistical multivariate model-twilding techniques, and principal components analysis. Results. Sixteen percent scored in the major depression range (EPDS > 12), and 14% in the minor depression range. Depression was associated with stress, neuroticism, purpose/meaning, mother's distress and (marginally) religious belief, but not with self-esteem, mother's ambivalence, age, parity or social class. Although neuroticism was strongly associated with depression, and also overlapped with most psycho-social variables, nonetheless stress, purpose/meaning, and mother's distress maintained significant relationships with depression after neuroticism was statistically controlled. Stress was associated in part with the perception of losing one's freedom in the motherhood role (neuroticism controlled). When resilience was defined as high stress coupled with low depression, it was associated with low levels of neuroticism and mother's distress. When resilience was defined in terms of high levels of maternal satisfaction, it was associated with high purpose and low ambivalence. Principal components analyses revealed that (1) stress scores reflected two dimensions suggestive of distress and self-efficacy; and (2) depression, stress, neuroticism, self-esteem and purpose were markers for the same underlying component, whereas mother's distress and ambivalence were markers for another (unrelated) component. Conclusion. This study underlines the relevance of temperament, self-efficacy, self-transcendence, existential beliefs and motherhood-related cogniitions to the understanding of PN depression and stress. / Subscription resource available via Digital Dissertations only.

Background. Because there have been few studies examining resilience associated with postnatal (PN) depression, this study aimed at formulating and testing a theory-based model integrating both traditional resilience paradigms and non-traditional factors including existential beliefs about life, motherhood and religion. Method. Study hypotheses addressed prediction of PN depression, stress and resilience, and the confounding influence of negative affectivity (neuroticism). Study variables included PN depression (Edinburgh PN Depression Scale, EPDS), stress, neuroticism, self-esteem, mother's distress and ambivalence, purpose/meaning, religious belief, parity, age, marital and social status. They were assessed with standardized self-report instruments and, following a pilot, administered to a probability sample of women four months postpartum in a one-wave, community, postal survey. Because the overall response rate was so low (49%) only the Europeans were included in the study (N = 225; response-rate = 78%). Statistical hypothesis-testing included linear and logistical multivariate model-twilding techniques, and principal components analysis. Results. Sixteen percent scored in the major depression range (EPDS > 12), and 14% in the minor depression range. Depression was associated with stress, neuroticism, purpose/meaning, mother's distress and (marginally) religious belief, but not with self-esteem, mother's ambivalence, age, parity or social class. Although neuroticism was strongly associated with depression, and also overlapped with most psycho-social variables, nonetheless stress, purpose/meaning, and mother's distress maintained significant relationships with depression after neuroticism was statistically controlled. Stress was associated in part with the perception of losing one's freedom in the motherhood role (neuroticism controlled). When resilience was defined as high stress coupled with low depression, it was associated with low levels of neuroticism and mother's distress. When resilience was defined in terms of high levels of maternal satisfaction, it was associated with high purpose and low ambivalence. Principal components analyses revealed that (1) stress scores reflected two dimensions suggestive of distress and self-efficacy; and (2) depression, stress, neuroticism, self-esteem and purpose were markers for the same underlying component, whereas mother's distress and ambivalence were markers for another (unrelated) component. Conclusion. This study underlines the relevance of temperament, self-efficacy, self-transcendence, existential beliefs and motherhood-related cogniitions to the understanding of PN depression and stress. / Subscription resource available via Digital Dissertations only.

Background. Because there have been few studies examining resilience associated with postnatal (PN) depression, this study aimed at formulating and testing a theory-based model integrating both traditional resilience paradigms and non-traditional factors including existential beliefs about life, motherhood and religion. Method. Study hypotheses addressed prediction of PN depression, stress and resilience, and the confounding influence of negative affectivity (neuroticism). Study variables included PN depression (Edinburgh PN Depression Scale, EPDS), stress, neuroticism, self-esteem, mother's distress and ambivalence, purpose/meaning, religious belief, parity, age, marital and social status. They were assessed with standardized self-report instruments and, following a pilot, administered to a probability sample of women four months postpartum in a one-wave, community, postal survey. Because the overall response rate was so low (49%) only the Europeans were included in the study (N = 225; response-rate = 78%). Statistical hypothesis-testing included linear and logistical multivariate model-twilding techniques, and principal components analysis. Results. Sixteen percent scored in the major depression range (EPDS > 12), and 14% in the minor depression range. Depression was associated with stress, neuroticism, purpose/meaning, mother's distress and (marginally) religious belief, but not with self-esteem, mother's ambivalence, age, parity or social class. Although neuroticism was strongly associated with depression, and also overlapped with most psycho-social variables, nonetheless stress, purpose/meaning, and mother's distress maintained significant relationships with depression after neuroticism was statistically controlled. Stress was associated in part with the perception of losing one's freedom in the motherhood role (neuroticism controlled). When resilience was defined as high stress coupled with low depression, it was associated with low levels of neuroticism and mother's distress. When resilience was defined in terms of high levels of maternal satisfaction, it was associated with high purpose and low ambivalence. Principal components analyses revealed that (1) stress scores reflected two dimensions suggestive of distress and self-efficacy; and (2) depression, stress, neuroticism, self-esteem and purpose were markers for the same underlying component, whereas mother's distress and ambivalence were markers for another (unrelated) component. Conclusion. This study underlines the relevance of temperament, self-efficacy, self-transcendence, existential beliefs and motherhood-related cogniitions to the understanding of PN depression and stress. / Subscription resource available via Digital Dissertations only.

Background. Because there have been few studies examining resilience associated with postnatal (PN) depression, this study aimed at formulating and testing a theory-based model integrating both traditional resilience paradigms and non-traditional factors including existential beliefs about life, motherhood and religion. Method. Study hypotheses addressed prediction of PN depression, stress and resilience, and the confounding influence of negative affectivity (neuroticism). Study variables included PN depression (Edinburgh PN Depression Scale, EPDS), stress, neuroticism, self-esteem, mother's distress and ambivalence, purpose/meaning, religious belief, parity, age, marital and social status. They were assessed with standardized self-report instruments and, following a pilot, administered to a probability sample of women four months postpartum in a one-wave, community, postal survey. Because the overall response rate was so low (49%) only the Europeans were included in the study (N = 225; response-rate = 78%). Statistical hypothesis-testing included linear and logistical multivariate model-twilding techniques, and principal components analysis. Results. Sixteen percent scored in the major depression range (EPDS > 12), and 14% in the minor depression range. Depression was associated with stress, neuroticism, purpose/meaning, mother's distress and (marginally) religious belief, but not with self-esteem, mother's ambivalence, age, parity or social class. Although neuroticism was strongly associated with depression, and also overlapped with most psycho-social variables, nonetheless stress, purpose/meaning, and mother's distress maintained significant relationships with depression after neuroticism was statistically controlled. Stress was associated in part with the perception of losing one's freedom in the motherhood role (neuroticism controlled). When resilience was defined as high stress coupled with low depression, it was associated with low levels of neuroticism and mother's distress. When resilience was defined in terms of high levels of maternal satisfaction, it was associated with high purpose and low ambivalence. Principal components analyses revealed that (1) stress scores reflected two dimensions suggestive of distress and self-efficacy; and (2) depression, stress, neuroticism, self-esteem and purpose were markers for the same underlying component, whereas mother's distress and ambivalence were markers for another (unrelated) component. Conclusion. This study underlines the relevance of temperament, self-efficacy, self-transcendence, existential beliefs and motherhood-related cogniitions to the understanding of PN depression and stress. / Subscription resource available via Digital Dissertations only.