This exploratory-descriptive study, using multiple case studies, investigated the self-esteem, coping and psychology of infertility of a sample of individuals who have received infertility treatment at a privately managed health care unit. Infertility is a complex condition associated with the inability to conceive a child, frequently manifesting itself as a result of various biological factors. A literature review indicated that being on Artificial Reproductive Technology (ART) treatment significantly increases the stress in an individual. In an attempt to gain insight into the way patients undergoing infertility treatment find the strength to complete their treatment cycles, and to endure and overcome the pressures associated therewith, in order to continue their lives – in spite of a negative treatment/pregnancy result, the researcher found it necessary to investigate the self-esteem, coping and the psychology of patients undergoing infertility treatment. An exploratory descriptive research design was used and the participants were chosen by means of a non-probability purposive sampling procedure. The participants were given a package of questionnaires to complete under the supervision of the group facilitator and researcher, prior to, as well as after the intervention. The assessment consisted of a biographical questionnaire and two standardised paper and pencil measures. The participants’ self-esteem was explored using James Battle’s (1981) Culture-Free Self-Esteem Inventory; while the coping resources were explored using Hammer and Marting’s (1988) Coping Resource Inventory (CRI). Although these data were not analysable, due to the small sample size, it was utilised in a qualitative manner to support the findings from the qualitative data. The data were also gathered from the participants via a psychological intervention programme in the format of three focus group sessions. All the qualitative results were analysed, according to Tesch’s model of content analysis. The general finding was that the period of infertility treatment is experienced as both difficult and challenging by individuals, and that there is immense healing in the sharing of one’s narrative with other infertility patients. It also surfaced that selfesteem, especially one’s feelings of worth, is most affected by a diagnosis of infertility, as well as by going through the roller coaster of the emotions associated with the treatment and monthly cycle of infertility. It was evident from the narratives told by the participants that every domain of one’s self-esteem is affected by a diagnosis of infertility, and that the biggest challenge in maintaining a positive selfesteem seemed to be in finding a balance between one’s real self and one’s ideal self. Furthermore, this study found that the challenge related to coping for the participants in this study was to present a coherent life narrative to the ‘world’, despite intense feelings of being misunderstood by others, and being faced with the discourse of infertility, as part of one’s life script. The main coping responses utilized by participants included the re-channelling of one’s focus, using denial, seeking out familial and social support, bargaining with God, and nurturing hope and faith that this journey of infertility is merely just a journey and not a destination, with the destination that of being blessed with a biological child of one’s own.

The practice of assessing the attributes of people in relation to job and organizational requirements has long been regarded as being central to the profession of Industrial and Organisational Psychology (IO Psychology). Some have argued that it is in the area of individual assessment that the scientific training of IO psychologists is applied most extensively and that it is here where the dual role of the IO psychologist as a scientist-practitioner is most clearly evident. Despite the emphasis on the integration of science and practice in IO Psychology and IOP assessment in particular, there is evidence to suggest that the scientific model that underpins practice does not optimally serve this ideal. It is further apparent that several influential authors within the discipline have identified concerns and dissatisfaction with the status quo in this respect. In this study it is proposed that the existence of such concerns and dissatisfaction points to the need to reflect on the adequacy of the intellectual architecture that guides theory and practice in the field. The aim of this study is to explore the contribution of Action Science to the ideal of integrating theory and practice within the field of Industrial and Organisational Psychological assessment (IOP assessment). It is proposed that action science perspectives are particularly relevant to IOP assessment given its emphasis on the close coupling of thought and action, the enactment of scientific values in practice and the rigorous monitoring of such practice. Given that action science perspectives have not been explored in-depth in relation to IOP assessment, its philosophical and theoretical points of departure are described in detail. From an action science perspective, all deliberate action is based on an underlying theory – a theory of action - that specifies how to achieve intended consequences. The concept of a theory of action therefore serves as a vehicle to capture the integrative nature of thought and action. One of its central premises is that professional effectiveness requires of practitioners not only to become competent in taking action, but also to reflect critically on the theories of action that constitute their practice. As an epistemology of practice, action science provides abstract, normative models of action that guide such a process on the basis of internal criticism. In this process action is evaluated according to the values it claims to serve. At the same time these models identify pathways for transforming practice. In this study these principles are applied to the field of IOP assessment. Detailed attention is devoted to inferring the technical and interpersonal theory of action underlying IOP assessment from the literature in order to subject it to critical analysis. Diagnostic evidence is presented to illustrate the existence of inconsistencies and incongruities in the technical as well as interpersonal theories of action. Given the non-trivial consequences of these limitations, the critique is intentionally not euphemized or softened so as to identify potential sources of ineffectiveness on a rigorous basis. The analysis further shows that if practitioners are not vigilant to the limitations of their technology, they paradoxically run the risk of acting counter to the values they stand for when correctly implementing the prescriptions of the conventional theories of action. Drawing on action science principles as well as contributions from the organizational justice literature, an alternative theory of action for IOP assessment is proposed - the essence of which involves the reframing of validity as an action concept. A model is presented that depicts the various dimensions of validity as an action concept and guidelines are provided for operationalising it. It is argued that such an alternative theory of action provides guidelines for practice at the level of meta-praxis that will enable scientist-practitioners to act more consistently with their espoused values. Implications for practice, education and research are explored. It is concluded that action science offers an alternative, scientifically accountable model for practice that may be more consistent with the scientist-practitioner ideal of IO Psychology than the current scientific model to which it adheres. / Prof. I. v. W. Raubenheimer

This study examines the psychological issues of personal responsibility and control in the childbirth process. It examines the implications of the woman's preparation process and the choices she makes during pregnancy and childbirth. It also explores the way in which the birthing environment and the woman's interpersonal relationships affect her experience of personal control within the context of the childbirth period. Use was made of the case study research design. This qualitative design involved indepth exploration, of cases in which the women had recently given birth to their first child in the local hospital of a small town. The data analysis involved the use of a "reading guide", established by the researcher to allow for the examination of the data specifically in terms of the themes in question. Within the study the importance and value of the woman's accurate and sufficient preparation for the birth was seen to facilitate a realistic sense of predictability, which led to an increased awareness and ability of the woman to remain in control. This, along with the active participation of the husband and supportive network in the hospital, allowed for a sharing of the responsibility within the labour situation. This taking and appropriately yielding of control and responsibility had positive effects on the woman's experience of the event and for initial mother-infant bonding

This study examines the role of emotional awareness in the retirement transition. Retirement is viewed as one of the transitions in later life and has psychological consequences. It is an objective development and social-psychological transformation that is related to physical and psychological well-being. Research has shown that emotional awareness can have an impact on the retirement transition. A correlational research survey design was used for this study to determine and establish the role of emotional awareness, preparation and emotional responses in the retirement transition. Using a five-point Likert Scale, respondents were asked to score their responses to twenty-eight items. The questionnaire was distributed to retirees on the data bases of two financial companies that manage retirement funds. The SurveyMonkey application was used to distribute the survey to one financial company’s data base, and email was used for the other. Statistics such as means, relationships between factors, Cronbach’s Alpha, Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation and descriptive statistics were used to analyse the data. The findings of this study demonstrate inconclusive evidence of emotional awareness in retirement. In addition to this, there were no significant findings regarding preparation for retirement or emotional response to retirement which indicates a neutral attitude to preparation and retirement, on average. There is a need for further future studies that include a more balanced sample representation of men and women, a comparative study based on different cultures to determine if differences exist in the experience of emotions in the retirement transition, and a field study in retirement homes and villages to corroborate the findings of this study.

This is a study of human response to the Arctic and Antarctic environments. It is based on two sources of data: the content analysis of original diaries of polar explorers, and the behavioural evaluation of contemporary crews in polar locations. In the latter, four polar stations were chosen, two in each polar region with a total of fifty-five experimental subjects. Twenty-seven other subjects acted as controls for both polar regions: a northern control group located at a semi-isolated site in Canada, and the southern group located in an Argentinian city. Methods applied in this research included the design and coding of categories which were content analyzed from the original diaries of explorers, and on-site procedures. On-site procedures included psychometric material, participant-observation reports and unstructured interviews. Fifteen behavioural measures within the domain of personality, perception of the environment, affection, social stress and community behaviour were administered. It was hypothesized that the human response would be similar in both polar regions because of environmental and sociological similarities, and that the polar setting would affect men and women in a negative way. Results showed that: (i) the polar environment is not perceived as stressful by the crews - a low anxiety state across both polar regions was found, (ii) traumatic experiences of the explorers had led to the perception of the environment in a negative perspective - yet the winter seemed to be a relaxing phase for the crews rather than stressful, (iii) personnel stationed at polar sites may possess special characteristics which distinguish them from the majority of the population, (iv) although cross-cultural differences exist, they are not as strong as might be anticipated - the environment exerts a unifying influence, (v) differences in gender-response are difficult to assess due to the small number of women subjects, but some differences with controls were noted. / Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies / Graduate

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