Call number: LD2668 .T4 1985 M667 / Master of Science

Commercial airlines need to employ well qualified pilots to run their core business. The current supply from privately and military qualified pilots is proving to be inadequate. A further challenge facing the airline is having to attempt to reflect the diversity of the country in its workforce. The present study investigated the predictive validity of a psychological test battery for cadet pilots. The predictors that were included in the research are: biographical data, ABET levels in terms of English and Matric results, as well as results from psychological tests, namely: English literacy skills assessment (ELSA), Raven’s Progressive Matrices (RMP), Blox test, subtests of the Intermediate Battery (B/77) viz: Arithmetic 1 and 2, and Reading Comprehension, and the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS). The objective of the research was to determine the predictive validity of the selection battery utilizing the final flying school results as the criteria. The results of the research were inconclusive. Only some of the tests showed positive correlations with the modules of the flying school results. The Ravens Progressive Matrices, Blox, Matriculation English symbol, ABET levels and Reading Comprehension, were found to have predictive power with some of the modules of the flying school results based on the regression analysis. It is recommended that a revised profile for a commercial airline pilot should be developed, as well as that the critical skills and competencies should be identified to enable the airlines to utilize appropriate and relevant assessment tools to select prospective candidates, particularly among the previously disadvantaged communities. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M. Com. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)

Anxiety, in excess, has been found to have a crippling and often debilitating effect on both adults and children. It can affect all aspects of their lives and can lead to psychiatric disorders. This study was initiated by the researcher's observation that more children of all ages, referred to her private practice, were suffering from high levels of anxiety than in previous years. A literature study was conducted into the phenomenon, anxiety, in order to establish: * the different types of anxiety; * the different theories of anxiety; * the development of anxiety in young children; * the effect anxiety has on primary school children generally and specifically on their emotional, sexual, social, cognitive and moral development; * the symptom formation and psychosomatic illness caused by anxiety; * the disorders of childhood and adolescence caused by anxiety; and * the means of assessing and treating anxiety in primary school children. The researcher then assembled a battery of standardised tests to assess anxiety in primary school children and devised a therapy, namely Hypno-p1ay therapy, to treat anxiety in primary school children. An idiographic study was then conducted on six primary school children, identified as suffering from high levels of anxiety. These children were assessed on the battery of tests, designed specifically to analyse their different types of anxiety, namely state and trait; general and test; free-floating and manifest; overt and covert and normal and neurotic. These results were then interpreted holistically, viewing the child within his life-world and attempting to make meaning of his anxiety within this context. Three of these children were then given Hypno-playtherapy on a regular basis for 8-12 sessions and were thereafter reassessed on two questionnaires, to ascertain whether their anxiety levels had been reduced by the therapy. Other aspects, such as causes and symptoms of anxiety, were also reviewed. Findings in the empirical investigation appear to confirm that anxiety can be identified in primary school children by means of a psychometric assessment, consisting of a variety of tests and can be treated uccessfully by Hypno-play therapy. / Psychology of Education / D. Ed. (Psychology of Education)

Thesis (M.A. (Psychology))--University of South Africa,2002

Thesis (MA) -- University of Stellenbosch, 2001. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The purpose of this study was to determine the applicability of a nomological model for the assessment of psychological measurement validity with reference to personnel selection. The model, which can be traced to Thorndike (1949), Campbell and Fiske (1959), Nunnally (1967, cited in Duvenage, 1990), Guion (1974, cited in Duvenage, 1990), Binning and Barrett (1989) and Duvenage (1990), provides the evidential bases for two empirically founded validation strategies, namely criterion- and constructrelated validity. Theoretically, the Nomological Model for Psychological Measurement Validity Assessment proved to be applicable for validating that a measure is able to predict job performance. An easily understandable empirical investigation was required to verify the scientific utility of the model for selection validation. The model was used to validate the procedure for selecting machine operators in a large food manufacturer. The investigation illustrated that by utilising Route 1 of the nomological model, evidence of criterion-related validity, as described by legal and professional standards, is generated. Furthermore, the study indicated that by utilising Route 2 of the model, evidential requirements of construct-related validity as set by legal and professional standards are met. The results of the study proved that the Nomological Model for Psychological Measurement Validity Assessment is theoretically, professionally, legally and practically applicable for the validation of personnel selection procedures. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van hierdie studie was om die toepasbaarheid van 'n nomologiese model vir die bepaling van die geldigheid van sielkundige meting ten opsigte van personeelkeuring vas te stel. Die model, wat sy oorsprong in die werk van Thorndike (1949), Campbell en Fiske (1959), Nunnally (1967, aangehaal uit Duvenage, 1990), Guion (1974, aangehaal uit Duvenage, 1990), Binning en Barrett (1989) en Duvenage (1990) het, verskaf getuienis basisse vir twee ernpirles gefundeerde valideringsstrategiee, naamlik kriterlum- en konstruk-verwante geldigheid. Daar is teoretiese bewyse gevind vir die toepasbaarheid van die Nomologiese Model vir Sielkundige Meting Geldigheids Raming vir die validering van metingsvoorspelbaarheid van werksprestasie. 'n Maklik verstaanbare empmese ondersoek was nodig om die model se wetenskaplike nut vir keuringsgeldigheid te bepaal. Die model was gebruik vir die validering van keuringsprosedure-geldigheid van masjienoperateurs in 'n groot voedselverwerkingsmaatskappy. Die ondersoek het ge"illustreer dat deur die toepassing van Roete 1 van die nomologiese model, bewyse gegenereer is vir kriterium-verwante geldigheid, 5005 voorgeskryf deur relevante wetgewing en professionele standaarde. Verder, deur die toepassing van Roete 2 van hierdie model, word voldoende bewyse vir konstruk-verwante geldigheid, 5005 voorgeskryf deur wetlike en professionele standaarde, verkry. Die resultate van die studie bewys dat die Nomologiese Model vir Sielkundige Meting Geldigheids Raming teoreties, professioneel, wettig en prakties toepasbaar is vir die validering van personeel keu ri ngsprosed ures.

On t.p.: Degree of Masters of Science (Counselling Psychology) / Thesis (MSc)--Stellenbosch University, 2003. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: During middle childhood, cognitive, social, emotional and self-concept development is of importance, and prepares the child for the adaptation and challenges awaiting the child in adolescence. Visualmotor integration is described by various sources as playing an important role in the development of a child. Visual-motor integration is the child's ability to integrate visual perceptual skills with fine motor coordination. In order to assess visual-motor integration functioning, the Developmental Test of Visual- Motor Integration (VMJ) (Beery, 1989) is often applied. Considering visual-motor integration functioning as an integral part of the drawing task (Harris, 1963), the Goodenough-Harris Drawing Test (GHD) may also convey important information ofa child's visual-motor integration functioning. The primary aim of the present study was to determine the status of visual-motor integration functioning of the selected group of middle childhood children within the South African context, in order to identify possible delays. Visual-motor integration functioning was determined by the children's performance on GHD and the VMI. Academic achievement results were also reviewed to determine the chosen sample's status in this regard. The obtained results were analyzed and summarized in order to obtain information leading to the fulfillment of the primary aim. The secondary aim of the present study flows parallel to the primary aim, and was motivated by the need to discover an effective, child-friendly measurement tool of visual-motor integration, applicable at a young age, as to gain accurate knowledge of a child's visual-motor integration functioning. The secondary aim consisted of exploring a) the correlations (if any) between the results of the Goodenough-Harris Drawing Test (GHD) and the biographical variables of gender, chronological age and socioeconomic status, b) the correlations (if any) between the results of the Beery Developmental test of Visual-Motor Integration (VMI) and the above-mentioned variables, c) the correlations (if any) between academic achievement and the above-mentioned variables and test results, and d) the correlations (if any) between the VMI and GHD results, in order to compare different tests of visual-motor integration. Three hundred and thirty nine participants attending grade one to four in a specific primary school, took part in this study. The study resulted in various conclusions regarding the status of visual-motor integration functioning, the most relevant being that the selected sample presents with functioning levels lower than that which is expected for children their age, in their achievement on both the VMI and the GHD, implying possible visual-motor integration functioning challenges. This finding implies the need to implement effective intervention programmes in order to address this seemingly evident delay. Conclusions regarding the vanous relationships between the test results and certain biographical variables include the following: It was found that the relationship between socioeconomic status and childhood development, as reflected by the correlation between socioeconomic status and the GHD, seems very important in the South African context. When considering gender differences, females achieved lower scores on both tests applied in the present study than males. Chronological age correlated significantly with scores on the VMI. It was further shown that visual-motor integration functioning could have a significant impact on academic achievement. The VMI and GHD results were compared, in order to compare different tests of visual-motor integration. High scores on the GHD related significantly to high scores on the VMI. Although the present study was unable to confirm the superiority of one test, various considerations were discussed leading to the identification of a child-friendly test of visual-motor integration. The present study highlights the importance of identifying and addressing developmental delays in general, and visualmotor integration functioning in specific, in order to ensure the development of middle childhood children to their complete potential in the South African context. It also underlines the need for effective, child-friendly assessment tools of visual-motor integration that will ensure the effective identification of developmental delays. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Gedurende middelkinderjare is kognitiewe-, emosionele- en selfbeeldontwikkeling van belang, omdat dit die kind voorberei vir die verwagte aanpassings en uitdagings tydens adolessensie. Visueelmotoriese integrasie speel 'n sentrale rol in kinderontwikkeling. Visueel-motoriese integrasie word beskryf as die kind se vermoë om visueel-perseptuele vaardighede te integreer met fyn-motoriese koërdinasie, Die VMI (Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration, Beery (1989)) word gereeld as meetinstrument gebruik vir visueel-motoriese integrasie. Omdat visueel-motoriese integrasie 'n sentrale deel van 'n kind se tekenvaardighede is, is die GHD (Goodenough-Harris Drawing Test) ook toepaslik om informasie rakende 'n kind se visueel-motoriese integrasie funksionering te bepaal. Die primêre doel van die huidige studie was om die status van visueel-motoriese integrasie funksionering van 'n gekose groep kinders in die middelkinderjare binne die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks, te bepaal. Hierdie doel is bereik deur die toepassing van die VMI en die GHD. Akademiese resultate is verder in ag geneem. Die analisering van die finale resultate en data het gelei tot belangrike afleidings rakende die status van die geselekteerde steekproef. Die sekondêre doel was gemotiveer deur die behoefte om 'n effektiewe, kindervriendelike meetinstrument van visueel-motoriese integrasie te identifiseer, wat toepaslik is op 'n jong ouderdom, en akkurate kennis rakende 'n kind se visueel-motoriese integrasie funksionering tot gevolg het. Om die sekondêre doel aan te spreek, is die volgende ondersoek: a) die korrelasies (indien enige) tussen die resultate van die GHD en sekere biografiese veranderlikes, naamlik geslag, chronologiese ouderdom en sosio-ekonomiese status; b) die korrelasies (indien enige) tussen die resultate van die VMI en die bogenoemde biografiese veranderlikes; c) die korrelasies (indien enige) tussen akademiese resultate en die bogenoemde veranderlikes en toets resultate; en d) die korrelasies (indien enige) tussen die GHD en die VMI resultate, ten einde verskillende toetse van visueel-motoriese integrasie te vergelyk. Die huidige studie dui op vele gevolgtrekkings rakende die status van visueel-motoriese integrasie funksionering in die geselekteerde steekproef; die mees relevante dat die steekproef funksioneer op 'n vlak wat laer is as dit wat verwag word vir kinders van hulouderdom. Hierdie gevolgtrekking is gebaseer op die resultate van beide die GHD en die VMI, en impliseer moontlike visueel-motoriese integrasie agterstande. Hierdie bevinding dui op 'n behoefte vir effektiewe intervensie programme wat hierdie oënskynlike agterstande sal aanspreek. Gevolgtrekkings rakende die vele verwantskappe tussen die toetsresultate en sekere biografiese veranderlikes, sluit die volgende in: kinderfunksionering, soos gereflekteer deur die resultate van die GHD, is beduidend verwant aan sosio-ekonomiese status. Hierdie verskynsel blyk belangrik te wees in die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks. Met in agneming van geslagsverskille, het vroulike deelnemers beduidend swakker resultate in beide die GHD en die VMI as manlike deelnemers getoon. Chronologiese ouderdom het beduidend met VMI resultate gekorreleer. Laastens het dit ook gevolg dat visueel-motoriese integrasie, soos reflekteer deur die resultate van beide die VMI en die GHD, 'n beduidende verwantskap tot akademiese funksionering toon. 'n Vergelyking tussen die resultate van die VMI en die GHD het gelei tot die gevolgtrekking dat hierdie twee toetse beduidend positief verwant is. Hoë tellings op die GHD het verband gehou met hoë tellings op die VMI. Alhoewel die resultate van die huidige studie nie die superioriteit van die gebruik van die een toets bo die van die ander kon bevestig nie, is verskeie oorwegings verder bespreek wat in ag geneem behoort te word tydens die seleksie van 'n kindervriendelike meetinstrument van visueelmotoriese integrasie. Die huidige studie is van waarde in die beklemtoning van die belangrikheid om ontwikkelingsagterstande in die algemeen, en spesifiek in visueel-motoriese integrasie funksionering, spoedig te identifiseer en aan te spreek. Die uitvoering hiervan mag 'n bydra lewer tot die ontwikkeling van kinders se potensiaal in die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks. Die studie beklemtoon verder die belangrikheid van effektiewe, kindervriendelike meetinstrumente van visueel-motoriese integrasie, wat die identifisering van hierdie ontwikkelingsagterstande sal verseker.

published_or_final_version / abstract / Psychology / Master / Master of Philosophy

The purpose of this research was to construct instruments to measure two personality variables that might explain individual differences in preventive behaviors for heart disease and to test the instruments for reliability and validity. The instruments were constructed to measure three concepts: health value orientations and perceived barriers and benefits to undertaking preventive behaviors believed to reduce one's risk for coronary artery disease. The concepts were components of the Preventive Behavior Model which was derived from social learning theory. Seventy-six subjects who had undergone a health screening program were tested. The testing session consisted of completing a Demographic Data Form which obtained information on smoking and exercise behaviors, the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability scale, the Likert Barrier/Benefit scale (BASBES), and Likert Value Orientation scale (VOS), and five magnitude estimation scales. Reliability testing included both stability and internal consistency. Test-retest coefficients for the Barrier/Benefit subscales were .52 and .71, and ranged from .32 to .68 for the Value Orientation subscale variations. Test-retest coefficients for the magnitude subscales ranged from .67 to .90, indicating the scaling technique obtained more stable results. Both alpha and theta coefficients were calculated to estimate internal consistency of the Likert scales. Alpha coefficients were .81 and .80 for the Barrier and Benefit subscales respectively and theta was .82 and .81 respectively. Theta coefficients ranged from .46 to .72 for the Value Orientation subscale variations while alphas were much lower, evidence that the items were not parallel. Construct validity was estimated by principal components factor analysis and predictive modeling. The orthogonal solution for the Barrier subscale revealed two components of the concept were being tapped. One factor resulted from rotation of the Benefit subscale. Factor analysis results suggested that many of the items on the VOS were not tapping the concepts as theoretically predicted. Although rotation of the factors resulted in one meaningful factor for each subscale variation, only 40 to 80 percent of the items were loading on the factors as hypothesized. Predictive modeling using stepwise regression analysis indicated that six of the 12 variables tested were impacting on one preventive behavior (exercise) as theorized.

This study was designed to assess the appropriateness of current standardized checklists used to measure stressful life events in a noninstitutionalized population aged 65-74 years of age. Previous studies, sampling from a younger aged population, have demonstrated a temporal association between an increase in stressful life events and psychophysiological disease. Before stress can be studied as a precipitator of disease onset in the aged, it must be determined if the instruments designed to measure stress are reliable and valid for use with the aged. Specifically, the following questions were examined: (1) Reliability--Are the checklists reliable for use with this population? (2) Relevance--Are the checklists valid for use with this population? (3) Are these events considered to be stressful for this population? (4) Does the scoring system used influence the results? (5) Are the events included on the checklists events that occur in the lives of people aged 65-74? (6) Are there other events, not on the checklists, which are stressful for older people? The data base for this study consisted of responses from 185 subjects aged 65-74 years. Each respondent completed three standardized checklists designed to measure stressful life events and a demographic sheet which included provision for respondents to write any stressful event(s) that had occurred. Results were analyzed by subscale. As a result of this study it was determined that: (1) Reliability coefficients across subscales were not sufficiently large to warrant using these checklists with this aged population. (2) The three checklists were not valid for use with this aged population. (3) Respondents in this study perceived most events as being more stressful than did a younger age standardized group. (4) Standardized weights for the events should be assigned by people aged 65-74 years. (5) Stressful life events are different for people aged 65-74 years than for younger aged people. It was recommended that the checklists be revised for use with this age population. This revision includes modifying events on the checklist and having people aged 65-74 years assign standardized weights that reflect the stressfulness of the events.

This research study was performed in an attempt to fill an apparent void regarding the relative utility and comprehensiveness of three published, theoretically-based, idiographic, initial assessment inventories: Integral Intake (II), Life-Style Introductory Interview (LI), and Multimodal Life History Inventory (MI). “Experts” -- defined as professors of counseling or psychology and licensed practitioners who have been practicing as counselors or psychologists for at least five years - read through the inventories and then evaluated them by responding to both (qualitative) open-ended questions as well (quantitative) rankings and ratings. The researcher posed three primary research questions: 1) how do participants' evaluations differ regarding the overall helpfulness of the three inventories; 2) how do participants' evaluations differ regarding the comprehensiveness -- both relative to each of the eight dimensions of the client (thoughts, emotions, behaviors, physical aspects of the client, physical aspects of the client's environment, culture, spirituality, and what is most meaningful to the client) and overall -- of the three inventories; and 3) how do participants' evaluations differ regarding the efficiency with which the three inventories assessed the eight dimensions. Results indicated that participants consistently evaluated the II and MI as more helpful, comprehensive, and efficient than the LI - both overall and relative to the eight specific dimensions. The LI was consistently evaluated as the worst of the three inventories -- on all dimensions. The MI was evaluated as the best inventory on four dimensions: the client's thoughts, emotions, behaviors, and physical aspects. The II was evaluated as the best inventory on seven dimensions: physical aspects of the client's environment, client's culture, client's spirituality, what is most meaningful to the client, and, notably, on overall comprehensiveness, overall efficiency, and overall helpfulness. Another goal of this research was to obtain feedback from the participants relative to how to improve the II. This goal was also accomplished and the researcher will implement this feedback into subsequent versions of the Integral Intake.