Ethnic status is one of the most protected demographic groups in terms of test bias and discrimination in personnel selection, as such bias breaches many laws, morals, and ethical procedures. To date there has only been two published studies that have used New Zealand relevant ethnic groups when analysing whether personality measures used in pre-employment settings exhibit different mean scores. The present thesis performed a systematic evaluation on the impact of ethnicity on personality traits. The study examined the impact of ethnicity on NZ Army Officer applicant personality assessment scores measured by the EPQ-R and GPP-I. Four ethnic groups (NZ Europeans, Mâori, Pasifika, and Asian) were analysed for mean trait score differences among ethnic groups, the stability of these differences across different personality inventories and models, the variance of personality traits, the impact of ethnicity on age and gender relationships with personality traits, and how these differences were related to employment selection outcomes. The analyses revealed that ethnicity did have some impact on mean personality assessment scores used in the study. However, these were mostly small differences among ethnic groups. In addition, most of these differences found on the EPQ-R and the GPP-I were not consistent across inventories and models. There were no significant variance differences found on personality traits among ethnic groups. While initial analysis suggested that ethnicity did not influence the relationship between age and gender on personality assessment, further examination suggested that the relationship between gender and personality was impacted on by ethnicity. There were reassuring results found for New Zealand psychologists and HR specialists, as only two of the twelve traits analysed showed moderate differences on traits that were related to selection outcomes. However, for the NZ Army OSB selection process the findings in the present study indicate that the Lie scale on the EPQ-R and the Vigor trait on the GPP-I may need to be interpreted with caution for Asian and Pasifika groups. These results are discussed in terms of implications for personality theory, measurement, and the direction of future research.

Thesis (M.S.)--Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, 2005. / Typescript (photocopy).

Thesis (MA (Industrial Psychology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / The primary objective of the study was to describe Professor Christiaan Barnard’s career development according to the theoretical model formulated by Greenhaus, Callanan and Godshalk (2000). The research design implemented in the study is a exploratory-descriptive psychobiographical case-study that followed an idiographic-morphogenic research strategy and used qualitative data to present a coherent narrative of Barnard’s career development. During the study biographical and autobiographical data pertaining to Barnard’s career development were collected and analysed. Barnard was selected as psychobiographical subject through a purposive sampling strategy. Barnard was regarded as an appropriate subject for the study because of his extraordinary and pioneering contributions in the context of organ transplants. The study used qualitative data and included both primary (autobiographical material) and secondary data (biographical material). The data collection and data analyses were based on an approach suggested by Yin (2003). This approach uses a theoretical model to determine the relevance of data as well as the nature of data that would facilitate the achievement of the research objective. It is implemented by posing specific questions to the data. The data analysis procedure was based on the approach suggested by Huberman and Miles (1994). Their approach comprises three phases, namely data-reduction, data-display, and conclusion drawing or verification. The researcher ensured ethical standards throughout the study by obtaining Barnard’s consent to conduct the study. The researcher treated personal information with respect, empathy, thoughtfulness and prudence. Only data available in the public domain (published biographical and autobiographical material) were considered during the data analysis phase. Lastly, the researcher attempted to interpret data in a responsible and transparent manner. The analysis of Barnard’s career development according to the theoretical model of Greenhaus et al. (2000) demonstrated the value of the model to accurately describe and interpret the career development of extraordinary individuals.

To date, the vast literature on theories of psychology, and psychology as a practice, still remains a reflection of Western experiences and conceptions of reality. This is so despite "psychology" and "psychotherapy" being studied and implemented by Africans, dealing with Africa's existential issues, in Africa. In this context, a distorted impression that positions psychology and psychotherapy as irreplaceable and irrefutable Western discoveries is created. This perception creates a tendency in which psychotherapists adopt and use universalised, foreign and imposed theories to explain and deal with African cultural experiences. In recent years, African scholars' quest to advance "African-brewed" conceptions, definitions and practices of "psychology" and "psychotherapy" is gaining momentum. Psychologists dealing with African clients are increasingly confronted with the difficulty, and in some instances the impossibility, of communicating with, and treating local clients using Western conceptions and theories. Adopting the dominant Western epistemological and scientific paradigms constitutes epistemological oppression and alienation. Instead, African conceptions, definitions and practices of "psychology" and "psychotherapy" based on African cultural experiences, epistemology and ontology are argued for. The thesis defended in this study is that the dominant Western paradigm of scientific knowledge in general and, psychology in particular, is anchored in a defective claim to neutrality, objectivity and universality. To demonstrate this, indigenous ways of knowing and doing in the African experience are counterpoised against the Western understanding and construction of scientific knowledge in the fields of psychology and psychotherapy. The conclusion arising from our demonstration is the imperative to rethink psychology and psychotherapy in order to (i) affirm the validity of indigenous African ways of knowing and doing; (ii) show that the exclusion of the indigenous African ways of knowing and doing from the Western paradigm illustrates the tenuous and questionable character of its epistemological and methodological claims to neutrality, objectivity and universality. Indeed the Western claim to scientific knowledge, as described, speaks to its universality at the expense of the ineradicable as well as irreducible v ontological pluriversality of the human experience. This study's aim is to advance the argument for the sensitivity to pluriversality of be-ing and the imperative for wholistic thinking. / Psychology / D. Phil. (Psychology)

Training in psychotherapy needs to involve more than merely skills and techniques. The field of psychotherapy needs to involve more than the application of formulas in a modernistic framework. This study proposes an approach to training in psychotherapy where the emphasis is on the client and the therapeutic relationship. Psychotherapy training should be an ongoing process and this study aims to facilitate and enhance that process for students. The study combines basic therapeutic skills and interpersonal psychotherapy to form a training programme referred to as the Basic Relational Skills Training (BRST) programme. The first part of the study provides a historical perspective of basic therapeutic skills, followed by a review of the relevant literature. The second part of the study constitutes a possible format for a training manual for the proposed BRST programme. The researcher hopes that the proposed BRST programme be utilised by trainers to assess the programme's efficacy. / Psychology / M.A. (Clinical Psychology)

An exploratory study was undertaken to investigate the relationship between personality preference groupings, as described by Jung’s (1959) type theory, and emotional intelligence, as measured by Bar-On’s emotional intelligence quotient (Bar-On, 1997). The sample group consisted of 1 121 recruitment candidates for a South African investment bank. The sixteen personality types, as measured by the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, were represented in the sample. The statistical analysis conducted for this study included comparison of means, correlation analysis and analysis of variance. The results indicated statistically significant relationships between the preferences of Extroversion, Judgement, their combined preference grouping and emotional intelligence. No statistically significant relationships were found between the preference groupings of Intuition and Thinking, Sensing and Thinking, Intuition and Feeling, and Sensing and Feeling. The preferred Feeling preference type consistently scored the lowest in terms of emotional intelligence scores. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M.A. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology

Text in Afrikaans / Hierdie navorsing handel oor ouderdom en geslag as veranderlikes in die salutogenese paradigma. Die salutogenese paradigma het sy ontstaan en ontwikkeling aan verskeie navorsingsperspektiewe te danke. Daar is reeds op internasionale gebied breedvoerig navorsing oor hierdie paradigma gedoen. In die Suid-Afrika is die navorsing van Strumpfer en Wissing goed bekend. In hierdie navorsing is daar deur middel van faktorontleding gepoog om die onderliggende dimensies van die konstrukte gevoel van koherensie en geharde persoonlikheid bloot te le. Daar is onderskeidelik twee duidelike faktore vir beide konstrukte bepaal. Die faktore op die Lewensorientasievraelys (OLQ) het noue ooreenstemming getoon met die komponente betekenisvolheid en hanteerbaarheid (OLQ1 ), en verstaanbaarheid (OLQ2) soos deur Antonovsky (1987) bespreek. Die faktore op die "Personal Views Survey" (PVS) het ooreenstemming getoon met die komponente verbintenis en beheer (PVS1) en uitdaging (PVS2), soos deur Kobasa (1979) daargestel. Hierdie navorsingsresultate toon verder dat ouderdom wel die mate van gevoel van koherensie wat 'n individu mag ervaar, kan be"invloed. Alhoewel geslag in 'n mindere mate 'n invloed op die mate van gevoel van koherensie getoon het, behoort geslag (in perspektief van die totale steekproef beskou) nie 'n bepalende invloed uit te oefen nie. In terme van die mate van geharde persoonlikheid wat 'n individu mag ervaar, het ouderdom en geslag geen invloed getoon nie. Daar is ook geen interaksie-effek tussen ouderdom en geslag en die onderskeie konstrukte vasgestel nie. / This research project deals with age and gender as variables in the salutogenesis paradigm. The salutogenesis paradigm owes its origin and development to various research projects. Research in the international field has already been done on this paradigm on a wide sphere. The research of Strumpfer and Wissing is well known in South Africa. In this area of research an attempt is made through the analysis of factors to expose the underlying dimensions of the construct sense of coherence and the construct hardy personality. Two certain factors for both constructs have been indicated. The factors influencing the Orientation to Life Questionnaire indicated a close resemblance with the components of meaningfulness and manageability (OLQ1), and comprehensibility (OLQ2), discussed by Antonovsky (1987). The factors of the Personal Views Survey (PVS) demonstrated a similarity with the components commitment and control (PVS 1) and challenge (PVS2), as stated by Kobasa (1979). The results of this research demonstrates that age may well influence the measure of the sense of coherence which an individual may experience. Although gender indicated a minor measure of influence on the degree of sense of coherence, gender should not (in perspective of this research findings) have a deciding influence. Age and gender indicated no deciding influence in the measure of hardy personality experienced by an individual. Age and gender did not manifest any interaction in the various constructs. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M. Com. (Bedryfsielkunde)

An American study used the High School Personality Questionnaire (HSPQ) as a predictive tool when placing learners in special classes. The personality characteristics of these learners were found to have a pervasive influence on learning. As the policy regarding the provision of education in South Africa has changed, with the emphasis on the accommodation of all learners in one inclusive education system,· further study of the personality traits of South African learners with special education needs was deemed necessary, before devising classroom management strategies that could be employed within an inclusive education system. This study provides the results of a literature and an empirical investigation into the personality traits of learners with special education needs. The educational implications are addressed, with specific reference to the education of learners with special education needs in an inclusive education system, and practical strategies for educators, parents and the Educational Psychologist are presented. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (with specialisation in Guidance and Counselling)

This study focuses on the feasibility of inculcating resilience skills in adolescents using the forum of group therapy. Resilience equals the ability to surmount life's obstacles and continue towards self-actualisation, regardless. The study was initiated by the writer's masters thesis, which delineated the profile and characteristics of resilient adolescents. The writer believed that an intervention programme to effect resilience was overdue. Adolescents were generally afforded therapy re-actively. If intervention was to be an exercise in wellness, rather than in repair, a pro-active intervention programme targeting resilience had to be designed. This study focuses on the provision of such a programme. The intervention programme is semi-structured and spans twelve one hour sessions. The intervention programme specifically targets adolescents, given the amplified vulnerability associated with this developmental phase. Should resilience be sabotaged during this phase of life, the repercussions are thought to be lasting. Group therapy was chosen as the forum for intervention, given its suitability to adolescents. Adolescents are peer-group-minded, suggesting that therapeutic intervention by means of group work, would be ideal, if competently lead. The personal attributes impacting on the ability to surmount life's challenges are targeted as an interrelated whole by the group therapy intervention programme involving an experimental group of six adolescents, who appear to have turned their backs on self- actualisation. A control group, which receives no intervention, provides a contrasting profile. The study aims to provide educational psychologists with an intervention programme and an in-depth understanding of the phenomenon of resilience, so that vulnerable youngsters might ultimately be therapeutically assisted to choose a more resilient attitude and behaviour. The results of the study suggest the feasibility of inculcating resilience skills. Four of the six group members in the experimental group show marked improvement. Of the remaining two members, one shows some amelioration of vulnerability. Furthermore, results suggest that personal choice underlies resilience, implying that resilience can be coached. Additionally, it would seem that schools can play a leading role in this coaching by facilitating intervention groups. / Psychology of Education / D. Ed. (Psychology of Education)

Introdução: Embora haja fortes evidências mostrando que a atividade física tem um papel essencial no tratamento dos pacientes diabéticos tipo 2, o aconselhamento médico isoladamente tem se mostrado pouco eficaz na promoção desta mudança de comportamento, tão necessária para o controle clínico destes pacientes. Neste sentido, outros possíveis fatores que poderiam influenciar esta resposta têm sido investigados, entre eles os sintomas depressivos e o nível socioeconômico. Entretanto, até o presente momento o papel destes fatores como também do perfil de personalidade no incremento da atividade física ainda não está plenamente estabelecido na literatura. Objetivos: determinar a influência do suporte telefônico como um incentivo à realização de caminhadas em pacientes diabéticos tipo 2 durante seis semanas. Determinar também o papel do perfil de personalidade, das características clínicas, laboratoriais e demográficas, do nível referido de atividade física, da classificação socioeconômica, do nível de qualidade de vida, da presença de sintomas de depressão e de comorbidades nesta resposta. Casuística e Métodos: trata-se de um estudo prospectivo, de desenho quasi-experimental, randomizado, controlado e sem mascaramento. Foram incluídos os pacientes diabéticos tipo 2, maiores de 18 anos de idade, seguidos no Ambulatório de Clínica Geral (ACMG-HC FMUSP) por mais de 1 ano, que não apresentaram limitação física para caminhar, que disponibilizaram um número telefônico para contato e que assinaram do Termo de Consentimento Livre e Esclarecido. As variáveis independentes estudadas foram: características clínicas, laboratoriais e demográficas, o perfil de personalidade (Escala de Comrey), a presença de comorbidades (Escala de Charlson), a classificação socioeconômica (instrumento CCEB), a qualidade de vida (questionário FACIT-sp12), os sintomas de depressão (PRIME MD), o nível referido de atividade física (questionário IPAQ) e o estágio comportamental para a prática de atividade física (questionário Prochaska). Os pacientes foram então randomizados em dois grupos. O grupo intervenção recebeu contatos telefônicos padronizados uma vez a cada dez dias por 6 semanas, com intuito de reforçar estratégias para realização de atividade física. Os pacientes do grupo controle receberam um único contato telefônico na primeira semana. O desfecho avaliado foi o incremento na atividade física obtido pela diferença de número de passo entre a sexta e a primeira semana do estudo. A associação entre as variáveis independentes e o incremento da atividade física foi analisada por regressão logística univariada e multivariada. Foram obtidos os odds ratios e os respectivos intervalos de confiança de 95% e os níveis de significância estatística. Em relação à intervenção foram determinados o risco absoluto e relativo, a eficácia e o número necessário para tratar. Resultados: Foram randomizados 54 pacientes e destes, 48 completaram o estudo, sendo que 29 participaram do grupo controle e 19 foram incluídos no grupo intervenção. A glicemia de jejum foi menor (p=0,003) no grupo intervenção e este grupo apresentava também um menor número de comorbidades (p=0,04) comparativamente ao grupo controle. Em relação às demais variáveis estudadas. não observamos diferenças significativas. Na análise por regressão logística multivariada permaneceram como variáveis independentes associadas ao desfecho (incremento do número de passos entre a primeira e a sexta semana) a idade maior de 65 anos (OR:11,4; IC 95%: 1,05-123,5; p=0,04) e o suporte telefônico (OR:8,9; IC 95%: 2,01-39,3; p=0,004). As demais variáveis não permaneceram no modelo final. Com a análise por intenção de tratar observamos que o suporte telefônico apresentou uma eficácia 90%. A redução do risco absoluto foi de 75% e foi necessário fornecer suporte telefônico para três pacientes para que um apresentasse incremento no número de passos entre a primeira e a sexta semana do estudo (NNT=2,7). Conclusão: o suporte telefônico se mostrou uma intervenção eficaz para promover a realização de caminhadas durante 6 semanas em pacientes com DM2, principalmente naqueles com idade superior 65 anos de idade. / Introduction: Although there is evidence supporting the essential role of physical activity in the management of type 2 diabetic patients, only the physician counseling has shown lesser efficacy in promoting behavior changes, which are so necessary for the clinical control of these patients. In this sense, other possible factors that may influence these responses have been investigated, such as depressive symptoms and socioecononomic level. However, until the present moment the role of these factors such as personality profile in the increment of physical activity has not been clearly established in the literature. Objectives: to assay the influence of phone call support as an incentive to promote walking in type 2 diabetic patients during six weeks. We also determined the role of personality profile, clinical, laboratorial and demographic characteristics, the referred level of physical activity, the socioeconomic classification, the quality of life, the presence of depressive symptoms and comorbidities in this response. Casuistic and Methods: it is a prospective, quasi-experimental, randomized, controlled and without masking study. We enrolled type 2 diabetic patients, with more than 18 years old, accompanied in the Internal Medicine Ambulatory (ACMGHC- FMUSP), for more than a year, without any type of physical limitation for walking, with a phone number for contact and the ones that signed the Written Consent Form. The independent variables studied were: clinical, laboratorial and demographic characteristics, personality profile (Comrey Scale), comorbidities (Charlson Scale), socioeconomic classification (CCEB instrument), quality of life (FACIT-sp12 questionnaire), depressive symptoms (PRIME-MD questionnaire), the referred level of physical activity (IPAQ questionnaire) and the behavior stage for practicing physical activity (Prochaska questionnaire). The patients were then randomized into two groups. The intervention group received phone calls (one every other ten days) in order to reinforce the strategies for doing physical activity. The control group patients received only one phone call at the first week. The outcome evaluated was the increment of physical activity measured by the difference between the number of steps obtained in the sixth and in the first week of the study. The association among the independent variables and the increment of physical activity was analyzed by univariate and multivariate logistic regression. We obtained the odds ratios, 95% confidence intervals and the statistical significance levels. In relation to the intervention, we determined the absolute and relative risks, the efficacy and the necessary number to treat (NNT). Results: We randomized 54 patients and 48 of these patients completed the study: 29 participated of the control group and 19 were included in the intervention one. The fasting glycemia (p=0.003) and the number of comorbidities (p=0.04) were lower in the intervention group in comparison to the control group. There were no significant differences between the other analyzed variables. The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the independent variables associated with the outcome were the age (>65 years: OR: 11.4; CI 95%: 1,05-123,5; p=0.04) and the phone call support (OR:8,9; CI 95%: 2,01-39,3; p=0,004) The other variables were not included in the final model. Using the intention to treat analysis the phone call support showed an efficacy of 90%. The absolute risk reduction was 75% and it was necessary to give a phone call support for three patients in order to obtain an increment in the number of the steps between the sixth and the first week of the study (NNT=2.7). Conclusions: the phone call support was an efficient intervention for promoting walking during six weeks in type 2 diabetic patients, mainly in the ones older than 65 years.