This study examines current understanding of the experience of Puerto Rican migrant women as they cope with a new environment. Acculturation theory is analyzed and found limited in its conceptualization of migration as confined largely to the individual. An interdisciplinary review of the literature is used to explain the process of adaptation as an interplay of personal and social factors. The personal and social functions of ethnicity and gender are found critical in migrant women's search for economic advancement. A demographic account of the experience of Puerto Ricans in the United States is provided. A review of empirical studies suggests that being head of household is a significant factor keeping Island born Puerto Rican women out of the labor force. This economic disadvantage is seen to affect the process of acculturation, and reciprocally, acculturation is seen as a requirement for labor force participation. A multidimensional framework is developed which explains that the exclusion of these women from the labor force is rooted in this country's issues of gender and ethnicity. Educational implications are discussed and suggestions for public policy are included. Future research must investigate the effect of prevailing social influences on migrants which place assimilation as their most desirable status. Acculturation studies must focus on the interrelated nature of ethnicity and gender and incorporate into their analyses the effect of socioeconomic resources on adjustment. The experience of migrant Puerto Rican women heads of household must be further examined and new methods derived to quantify their status by means of the available census procedures. A longitudinal national study of the experience of Puerto Ricans in the United States would provide significant interdisciplinary impact.

The purpose of this study was to develop a preventive intervention useful in helping first-time expectant fathers deal with the exigencies of pregnancy and prepare for parenthood, thereby diminishing the anxieties, stresses, and marital-family problems commonly associated with the birth of a first child. A pretest-posttest design with control was used to assess the effectiveness of the intervention. Tests were administered at the start and end of the intervention (four weeks apart for controls) and at six weeks post-partum. Subjects were a self-selected sample of 21 first-time expectant fathers, nine of whom participated in the intervention and 12 of whom functioned as no-treatment controls. It was hypothesized that, after participation in the intervention, first-time expectant fathers would: (1) exhibit less state anxiety; (2) have higher paternal self-esteem; (3) feel more positively about their infants; (4) exhibit greater expected role flexibility; and (5) predict a higher level of involvement with their newborns. It was also hypothesized that psychologically androgynous subjects, as indicated by the Bem Sex-Role Inventory, would show less change as a result of the intervention than less androgynous first-time expectant fathers. State anxiety was measured by Spielberger's State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (Form Y). Paternal self-esteem was measured by the Paternal Self-Report Inventory, a modification of Shea's Maternal Self-Report Inventory. Attitude toward forthcoming infants was measured by the Expectations of Newborns Inventory, a modification of Broussard's Neonatal Perception Inventory. Two new instruments were developed for this study: the Survey of Expected Role Flexibility and the Father's Behavior Inventory, which measures direct paternal involvement with the newborn. The data did not support any of the hypotheses. The small sample size,exploratory nature of some of the instruments, and selectivity of the sample are factors which contributed to the paucity of significant results. The results and problems inherent in this kind of research are discussed in a frank manner and implications for future research are noted.

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There is a rich body of literature that details the effects therapists have on their patients. Little attention has, however, been given to the impact of training and working as a professional psychologist on the close personal relationships (CPR) of practitioners. The aim of this study was to explore the subjective experience of the impact of clinical psychology training on trainee psychologists' intrapersonal development and subsequently their CPR in the South African context. Three key relationships the trainees' relationships with their family, friends and romantic partners were the focus of the research. Seven second year clinical psychology master's students were selected using non-probability, purposive sampling to participate in individual semi-structured interviews. Interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim and thematic analysis was used to identify and analyse themes in the data both within and across the seven interviews. Six main themes were identified and the findings indicate the participants perceive the impact of training on their CPR to be primarily beneficial. This is despite experiencing difficulties in some of their relationships as a result of training. Relationships with romantic partners benefitted from improved communication and some became deeper and more meaningful, although two ended. Participants faced both gains and losses in terms of friends while the intensity and shared experience of training rapidly made classmate relationships extremely important and close. Some participants gained a better understanding of family members and their family's functioning. Training also opened up some relationships by providing a point of connection between certain participants and their parents. The participants rely significantly on all their CPR for social support but support from family is most salient. Finally some implications for training were evoked by the interwoven nature of personal and professional development demonstrated by the study. / Mini Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2017. / Psychology / MA / Unrestricted

It is not uncommon for offspring of depressed parents to feel at increased risk for developing their parent's disorder. In this study, I examined the ways in which a fear of developing a parent's disorder speaks to aspects of a person's quality of object relations. Sixty-two college students were asked to provide information about themselves and their parents. Participants took part in a group administration of the Thematic Apperception Test, which was scored for the quality of object relations using Westen's (1985) Social Cognition and Object Relations Scale (SCORS). Offspring of depressed parents perceived themselves to be at increased risk for developing depression. This perceived vulnerability relates to negative affect tone and poor quality of emotional investment as measured by the SCORS. Findings from this study point to the importance of listening to the ways in which a fear of illness speaks to a person's internal representations. These findings are discussed along with recommendations for future studies.

To exist is to relate. As human, you are relating to other beings, animate and inanimate entities, physical objects and abstract ideas. A kind of relationship that affects our life and wellbeing in a most concrete sense is that between humans. Modern technology has made it possible to create artificial intelligence (AI) that has become increasingly integrated in our everyday life. AI can be distinguished between weak or strong, that is whether the AI appears to have human mental capacities or in fact has these capacities. The aim of this thesis is to determine whether AI and humans can be friends, based on the condition of them having equal moral status, as well as the concept of friendship as defined by LaFollette. According to LaFollette, a friendship is defined as a relationship that is voluntary, reciprocal and where you relate to each other as unique individuals.   If considering life as essential for moral status, true friendship is not possible between a human and an AI, weak or strong. Other criteria for moral status are the capacity of feeling pleasure and pain, being conscious and having a mind. Although weak AI would behave as if it has human mental capacities, it cannot have the same moral status as humans, and consequently cannot be involved in a genuine friendship in this framework. On the other hand, a strong AI would have equal moral status as a human, and a relationship with such an AI would have all the essential properties required for a friendship as defined by LaFollette. However, from a subjective point of view, it is possible to create unidirectional emotions towards an AI regardless of it having a mind or not.

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