Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Montana, 2006. / "Autumn 2006." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 109-125).

Thesis (M.Psych.Sport.&Ex.) - University of Queensland, 2006. / Includes bibliography.

No description available.

Thesis (D.C.P. / M. Sc.)--School of Psychology, Faculty of Science, University of Sydney, 2006. / Title from title screen (viewed 13 January 2009). Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Clinical Psychology/ Master of Science to the School of Psychology, Faculty of Science. Includes bibliographical references. Also available in print form.

Thesis (M.A.)--Western Kentucky University, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 44-47).

M.A. (Clinical Psychology) / Sportsmen and –women, professional and amateur alike, are faced with multiple pressures that often poses an ultimate hindrance on their performance. Some of these pressures include performance anxiety, fatigue and burnout, and negative physiological arousal resultant of performance and perfectionism. The latter, is often a construct that is misunderstood by athletes, coaches, sport managers and spectators, to have a purely negative consequence on an athlete’s performance and sports career. Theory (Flett & Hewitt, 2005; Gotwals, Stoeber, Dunn & Stoll, 2012; Hamachek, 1978) suggests, however, that perfectionism does not only have a negative consequence, but very often, it has a positive influence on a sporting performance. Thus, it is assumed that in the sporting society, perfectionism holds a false ideology. The constructs of perfectionism and personality often correlates with one another, particularly because of the theoretical link between the personality trait Neuroticism, and perfectionism. This ideology is no different among athletes. Sportsmen and -women often strive for perfection within their performance, which is known to most as a debilitating phenomenon in which they need to understand and reduce. However, Gotwals et al. (2012) have found this ideology to be a controversial issue as they have found that in sport, perfectionism is less of a debilitating phenomenon and more of an adaptive phenomenon. In order to better understand the entire construct of perfectionism, it becomes necessary to analyse the relationship it has with personality.

M.A. / Using the concept of resilience, this study investigates mechanisms and strategies used by young men in Zola, Soweto to cope in adverse circumstances. The study breaks with the preoccupation of social science research with 'youth as trouble' issues and resonates with the United Nations' objective to drive forward notions of human development which aim at sustaining support and collaboration in assisting people to develop their full potential. In specific, the study asks the question “What are the mechanisms and strategies that young men in Soweto use to cope in adverse circumstances?” The study, contrary to most resilience studies worldwide, employed a qualitative methodology and relies strongly on data collected in 2007 through in-depth interviews and participant observation among young men of 18-24 years of age in Zola, Soweto, just outside of Johannesburg. The findings highlight how notions of masculinity contribute to the legitimisation of crime and the high uptake of criminal responses to adversity in a context of poverty and inequality – a process I discuss in light of Michael Ungar's notion of 'hidden resilience'. The project's contributions to research are threefold: Firstly, the study contributes to the international body of resilience literature by providing a context-specific account of risk and adaptation among young men in an urban township environment in South Africa. Secondly, it adds to recent discussions on the appropriateness of different methods in studying resilience by reflecting on some of the most common approaches to researching resilience among children and youths. Lastly, the project takes a glance at potential fields of interest for policy and programme development that emanate from the study's innovative perspective on 'youth at risk' in Zola.

D. Litt. et Phil. / In the past, psychology has typically focused on identifying and treating mental illness, psychological deficits and disabilities, and research was often concerned with the respective roles of nature and nurture in behavioural problems. A number of psychologists and researchers have initiated a paradigm shift to one of positive psychology which emphasises enhancing personal strengths, developing and maintaining well-being, and encouraging positive emotions. Little research however has thus far been done to investigate the role of nature and nurture in psychological wellness. The current study addressed this dearth in the scientific literature by investigating the possible relationships between temperament and psychological well-being, specifically character strengths and resilience. The study was based on the assumption that positive emotionality and psychological well-being may have biological roots, just as psychopathology has been found to have biological underpinnings. The biologically-based construct of temperament refers to the innate and stable aspect of an individual that impacts thoughts, feelings and behaviours. Psychological wellbeing, for the purposes of the current study, incorporated two elements, namely character strengths and resilience. Character strengths may be defined as positive characteristics within individuals. Resilience refers to coping with, and perhaps even thriving, when faced with challenging life situations.

No description available.

No description available.