Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 1998. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 175-184). Available also in a digital version from Dissertation Abstracts.

Thesis (MA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2001. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The present study focuses on the salutogenic properties of families and attempted to identify factors that promote resilience in post-divorce families. McCubbin and Patterson's (1983) double ABCX model explains how families adapt to crises (divorce), and takes into account other life events that also impact on the family's resources. A cross-sectional research design was chosen to identify factors related to family resilience. The 98 participating families were identified on the grounds of the nature of the crisis and the developmental phase of the family. Self-report questionnaires were completed by the parent and a child acting as representatives of the family. These questionnaires consisted of a biographical questionnaire, the Relative and Friend Support Index, the Social Support Index, Family Crises Oriented Personal Evaluation Scales, Family Sense of Coherence Scale, and the Family Hardiness Index. Intra-family support, support of the extended family, support of friends, religion, open communication amongst family members, and work- and financial security were identified as factors promoting resilience in these post-divorce families. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie fokus op salutogenetiese eienskappe van gesinne en poog am faktore wat verband hou met veerkragtigheid in enkelouergesinne te identifiseer. McCubbin en Patterson (1983) se dubbele ABCX-model verduidelik gesinne se aanpassing na 'n krisis (egskeiding) en neem oak ander lewensgebeure in ag wat terselfdertyd op die gesin se hulpbranne begin staatmaak. 'n Dwarssnit navorsingsontwerp is gebruik am faktore te identifiseer en te beskryf wat met gesinsveerkragtigheid verband hou. Die 98 gesinne wat aan hierdie ondersoek deelgeneem het, is ge"ldentifiseer op grand van die aard van die krisis en ontwikkelingstadium van die gesinne. Selfrapporteringsvraelyste is deur die ouer en In kind, as verteenwoordigers van die gesin, voltooi. Die vraelyste het bestaan uit 'n biografiese vraelys (wat oak 'n oopend vraag ingesluit het), Relative and Friend Support Index, Social Support Index; Family Crises Oriented Personal Evaluation Scales, Family Sense of Coherence Scale, en die Family Hardiness Index. Intra- gesinsondersteuning, ondersteuning deur die uitgebreide familie, ondersteuning van vriende, geloof, oop kommunikasie onder gesinslede, positiewe gesindheid rakend hulle toekoms, en finansiele- en werksekuritiet, is ge"ldentifiseer as faktore wat bydra tot veerkragtigheid in enkelouergesinne.

Thesis (MA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2001. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The death of a parent calls on the family to utilize all its resources in order to adapt successfully and maintain normal family functioning. Within the mental health field a paradigm-shift from pathology-based to health-oriented is underway. Integral to this health-oriented paradigm is resilience, the ability to rebound after being stressed or challenged, as well as being able to rise above adversity and to survive stress. Family resilience theory emphasizes the role that family characteristics, behaviour patterns and capabilities play in cushioning the impact of stressful life events and in assisting the family in recovering from crises (McCubbin, Thompson, & McCubbin, 1996). Using a crosssectional survey research design, the present study aimed to explore and explicate those resiliency factors which enable families to adjust and adapt successfully after the loss of a parent. Families in which the death of a parent took place 1 to 3 years ago, and in which the eldest child was between 12 and 19 years old were approached to take part in this study. Thirty nine families completed questionnaires, as well as an open-ended question in which they were asked to report the most important factors or strengths which they felt helped their family through the stressful period. Results indicate that intrafamilial support such as emotional and practical support amongst family members, and family hardiness characteristics such as the internal strengths and durability of the family unit, contribute to resilience within the family. Individual characteristics, such as positive personality characteristics like optimism, are as important. Support from extended family and friends, as well as support obtained from religious and spiritual beliefs and activities, were reported as facilitating successful adjustment to the loss. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die dood van 'n ouer vereis dat 'n gesin alle bronne moet benut ten einde suksesvolle aanpassing en gewone gesinsfunksionering te handhaaf. Binne die geestesgesondheidsveld is daar 'n paradigma-verskuiwing vanaf patologie-gebaseerd na gesondheidsgeoriënteerd. Integraal tot hierdie gesondheidsgeoriënteerde paradigma is veerkragtigheid, die vermoë om terug te bons, uit te styg, en te oorleef nadat teëspoed ervaar is. Gesinsveerkragtigheidsteorieë beklemtoon die rol wat gesinseienskappe, gedragspatrone en bekwaamhede speel met betrekking tot die versagting van die impak van stresvolle lewenservaringe, asook die gesin se herstel na die krisis (McCubbin, Thompson, & McCubbin, 1996). 'n Dwarssnit opname-navorsingsontwerp is gebruik om die veerkragtigheidsfaktore te identifiseer en te beskryf wat gesinne help om suksesvol na die dood van 'n ouer aan te pas. Gesinne waar 'n ouer tussen een en drie jaar vantevore gesterf het, en die oudste kind tussen 12 en 19 jaar oud is, is genader vir deelname aan hierdie ondersoek. Nege-en-dertig gesinne het vraelyste sowel as 'n oop-end vraag voltooi waarin hulle gevra is om die belangrikste faktore te beskryf wat hul gesin deur die stresvolle periode gehelp het. Resultate dui daarop dat intragesinsondersteuning soos emosionele en praktiese ondersteuning, en gesinsgehardheid met kenmerke van interne sterkte en die volhoubaarheid van die gesin as eenheid, bygedra het tot gesinsveerkragtigheid. Individuele eienskappe soos optimisme het net so 'n essensiële rol gespeel. Ondersteuning van familie en vriende, asook ondersteuning as gevolg van godsdienstige en spirituele oortuigings en aktiwiteite, was fasiliterend in die suksesvolle aanpassing na die dood van 'n ouer.

Children's thinking has been described by Piaget and others in general terms, which suggest that there are major developmental changes that affect children's thinking at various stages of their development. Some criticisms of Piaget's theory have related to his approach to describing children's thinking as a context free phenomenon. In relation to this point, arguments have been put forward for the need to investigate the development of children's thinking, within particular content areas, and the investigations reported in this thesis have concentrated on the development of religious thinking of children aged from ~6 to 11 years. A review of previous investigations into this area of children's thought development reveals major shortcomings, both in the experimental approaches used and in the theories that have been constructed. In particular it is argued that there has been a tendency for investigators to propose stage development theories on the basis of inadequate results. It is argued that there is a need for investigations which approach this problem from new directions. As a first step, a series of investigations, which employ a variety of approaches and which investigate various cognitive and semantic factors that may influence the development of religious thinking in children, are presented. The investigations that are reported involved individual interviews with 440 children, in the age range from 6 to 11 years. A variety of experimental techniques were employed, including those investigating the children's understanding of various biblical parables, their understanding of the meaning of words used in religious discourse, their conception of historical time and ability to sequentially order events in time, and the way that these factors affected their understanding of religious ideas. The results of the investigations are discussed in terms of the variety of aspects, which they reveal, relating to the development of religious thinking in children. It is argued that this evidence does not support the idea of the development of religious thinking being a unidimensional stage related process; however, the evidence collected from these studies is insufficient to form the basis of an alternative model. It is argued that future studies that follow this approach will be necessary if a satisfactory theory is to be constructed. The educational implications of these findings are discussed and it is argued that certain curriculum changes in the area of religious education may have been made on the basis of insufficient evidence and inadequate theories.

The relationship between psychological hardiness and individuals' coping with two life events, involuntary job loss and post-parental launching of adolescent children, was investigated in a sample of 146 adults, 83 of which had experienced job loss and 61 of which had experienced the empty nest. Volunteers completed questionnaires which measured hardiness, distress, coping strategies, neuroticism, and extraversion. Multivariate analyses were performed, both with and without covariates, for overall hardiness as well as the hardiness subscales of control, commitment, and challenge. Significant hardiness by life event interactions on escape-avoidance coping were found in both sets of analyses. Main effects for hardiness, however, disappeared when controls for neuroticism and extraversion were utilized. Findings underscore the necessity of employing neuroticism controls in future hardiness research.

The aim of this study is to analyse and describe how resilient adolescent learners in a township school cope with school violence in order to develop and recommend a model to promote resilience in coping with school violence. As basis for this study violence is described and explained in the theoretical framework of the ecosystemic theory, as well as the social learning and cognitive behavioural theories. Based on these theories violence is discussed as a reaction and as an action that occurs through reciprocal interaction between the systems and the social environment. Through this interaction adolescent learners could be exposed to individual, family, community and school related risk factors and external barriers, which could have psychological impact, and could lead to a path of violence and self-destruction. Thus, the view of the study is that some learners have the ability and skills to cope with school violence, whilst others are not capable of coping with school violence. However, both groups could learn coping skills. This study wishes to further show that in order for adolescent learners in a township school to cope with school violence certain intrapersonal characteristics and social interpersonal skills of resilience, as well as external protective factors should be present. Therefore, background to research into the theories of resilience and coping based on Salutogenesis is provided. Salutogenesis stresses the importance of how well-being (resilience and coping) is created and maintained. The specific research design selected for this study is a case study and is qualitative, explorative and descriptive in nature. This research design is also emergent and is logically constructed according to qualitative research methods to ensure credibility and validity if the study. The research design further provides clear direction for the way in which the fieldwork is undertaken. A two-pronged approach was followed with the data collection. First, a pilot study was done for refinement of questions and data collection formats as well as for understanding the realities of the fieldwork and research process. Secondly, the data were collected from participants in three different phases, including gathering of background information of the school; obtaining views about school violence, resilience and coping; as well as collecting data from resilient adolescent learners about their violent experiences and how they coped with school violence. The process of analysis that was followed was to describe the protocol for all phases; to identify and describe the themes that emerged from the data of all phases; and to present a clear profile of each resilient adolescent learner. The results were presented within a narrative that should provide the reader with enough information to determine whether the findings of the study could possibly apply to other people or settings. The findings of the study revealed that many adolescent learners in the township school experienced direct incidences of violence either at school or in the community. The most common types of violence reported by the participants, are bullying, fighting, swearing, gangsterism, carrying of weapons, stabbing and gambling. Other contributory factors are racism and substance abuse. Reportedly, the nature of violence changed over the years because of efforts, mainly from the educators, to develop a workable discipline system. It was also found that there were learners at this school who coped with school violence because of intrapersonal characteristics of resilience, social interpersonal skills, and external factors. The intrapersonal characteristics of resilience are an appealing temperament; sense of coherence; internal locus of control; positive self-concept; being future directed, and belief in a Higher Being. The social interpersonal skills are communication skills, cognitive skills, and conflict resolution skills. The external factors are family support and social support. Based on these findings this thesis develops and recommends a systemic-based model to promote resilience in adolescent learners in coping with school violence in a township school. / Prof. R.E Swart

The overall purpose of the present study is to contribute to a better understanding of the experiences of young homeless women residing at Covenant House New York, a youth shelter that provides crisis and long-term residential programs to young adults ages 18 – 21. The main objective was to identify past life events and their contributions to the development of positive traits and psychopathology among three groups. The participants were 162 homeless young women, including childfree women, young mothers enrolled at a transitional living Rights of Passage program (12-18 months), and young mothers in crisis enrolled in a 30-day Mother and Child Crisis program. Past life experiences were identified via the Effort to Outcome (ETO) online software database maintained by Covenant House New York. Rates of psychopathology were measured using the IIP (interpersonal problems), PHQ-9 (depression), GAD-7 (anxiety), PSS (parental stress) while rates of positive traits were measured using the SCS (self-compassion), SCBCS (compassion toward others), and PGIS (motivation to change). The results indicated that all participants, regardless of group affiliation, had similar life experiences, though childfree women were more likely to have a history of abandonment, physical abuse, and previous incidents of homelessness. Additionally, presence of abuse history was positively associated with development of psychopathology. As expected, history of sexual abuse was negatively associated with self-compassion, but it was positively associated with compassion toward others. Mothers at the Mother and Child Crisis program had greater rates of self-compassion than mothers at the Rights of Passage program, and childfree women were more likely than the mothers to be compassionate toward others. Mothers at the Mother and Child Crisis program were also more likely to be compassionate toward others than mothers at the Rights of Passage program. Childfree women, however, were more likely to be depressed than mothers at the Mother and Child Crisis program.

In three parts, this dissertation seeks to clarify constructs used in contemporary and emerging models of child resilience, examine the predictive capacity of these models, and delineate key steps towards improving and refining models useful to mental health and psychosocial support program and policy initiatives in humanitarian settings. Data collected for this research was part of an inter-agency evaluation of Child Friendly Spaces in Nepal following the 2015 earthquake. Findings from these studies call for future research directed towards the development of more rigorous and equitable indicators used to evaluate mental health and psychosocial support programs that allow for a longer tracing of healthy developmental trajectories for children affected by situations of extreme adversity.

Cognitive processes have been shown to be severely affected by exposure to combat and war. While the negative impact of war on cognitive performance is apparent through numerous soldier narratives, the scientific investigation of this phenomenon is limited. Furthermore, the moderating influence of an individual’s resilience and grit on cognitive functions following combat environments is unknown. Understanding this interaction is essential in further understanding individual cognitive performance. Because the psychological wounds inflicted by combat situations affect individuals’ mental health, studying how such environments influence cognitive processes and performance can improve the training of our soldiers. This dissertation focuses on assessing how combat-like environments influence an individual’s ability to effectively and efficiently reason, and further examines whether an individual’s grit and resilience affect deductive and inductive reasoning in stressful environments. Participants were recruited from a private US military academy. The study used a pretest-posttest mixed design to investigate possible cognitive decrements in individuals’ ability to reason following exposure to war-like environments simulated by immersive and non-immersive technologies. Dependent measures included both inductive and deductive reasoning (as measured by The Letter Sets Test and Overton’s (1990) version of the Wason Selection Task, respectively) by placing participants into the immersive or non-immersive conditions. Self-reported resilience and grit were tested for interaction effects to examine how an individual’s resilience and grit influences an individual’s ability to reason in war-like environments. These findings might give a richer understanding of the ways in which cognitive mechanisms are affected by stressful environments like combat.

Increases in the number of enlisted veterans transitioning from active duty to the civilian world have drawn attention to a need for research in terms of unemployment to examine how separated service members experience transition from their perspective. Fifteen separated enlisted veterans from four of the five military branches were selected and interviewed in this study. The focus was to understand better the complexities of reintegrating into the civilian workforce, as experienced by veterans from the enlisted military population. By using qualitative methodologies including exploratory interviews and a focus group, the findings revealed four major themes on how service members described their transition experience: (a) perception that military leadership does not provide adequate support when transitioning and the need to become more self-directed in one’s own learning; (b) belief that the military TAP class is helpful but needs major changes to truly be effective; (c) description of a battle buddy or a family member as a positive influence in helping with the transition process; and (d) experiencing significant challenges with civilian employers when transitioning out of the military. An analysis of the findings led the researcher to conclude that transitioning veterans must become self-directed in their learning in order to transition successfully. Moreover, because they are at varying levels of being self-directed when they transition, additional guidance is needed from military leadership, family, and other veterans for the purpose of their development. The analysis also yielded a principal recommendation for military leadership to advocate for quality training programs that are specified from the separated enlisted population for what resources they need to assist with transition to the civilian sector. Additional recommendations were presented to transitioning service members on the importance of managing their own success and believing in their abilities to be resilient, valuable members of the civilian community.