This study involved a search for statistically significant relationships between age and particular areas of maladjustment measurable by The Adjustment Inventory in a population of delinquent girls.

This study was designed to investigate the types of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) integrated into the content area classrooms of two local high schools, and whether the use of these ICTs motivated adolescent students to read and write in the content areas. The investigator created a student survey, student, teacher, and other support faculty interview protocols, and a classroom observation protocol to collect data for the study. The investigator faced several challenges which prevented her from spending adequate time in the schools. Due to these challenges, sufficient data was not obtained to form conclusions about the research questions. This thesis will present the review of literature, methodology, and plan for completing the study in the future.

During the past decade increased attention has been directed toward alcoholism as a family system problem. Recent publications have identified characteristics of the "alcoholic family" system and a model of psychosocial development specific to children of alcoholics. Both theoretical frameworks proposed that family and individual growth and development were delayed or stagnated by the effects of parental alcoholism. This study explored possible effects of problem parental alcohol use or alcoholism on adolescent development. The variables studied were differentiation from family, identity achievement, and intimacy in close relationships. Two data collection methods were used: a mailed questionnaire and an interview with a subgroup of respondents who returned the questionnaire. Respondents were classified as children of alcoholics (COAs) or children of nonalcoholics (NCOAs) based on answers to one of two questions posed in the demographics' section. Questionnaires were distributed at a four-year college to sophomores, juniors, and seniors residing on-campus. A total of 160 questionnaires were returned. Twenty-four percent of the respondents reported one or more problem drinking parents. Interviews were completed with ten students, four of whom were in the COA group. Student's t tests, analysis of variance and multiple regression tests were performed an the data between and within groups. Results from the between groups analyses indicated that differentiation From family was more developed for the NCOA group. Overall development did not appear affected by parental problem drinking. The within group analysis tested for differences based on gender of problem drinking parent. ANOVA results indicated no significant differences among mean scores on the measures of differentiation, identity, and intimacy. The results of multiple regression analyses indicated that differentiation and identity were statistically significant in the prediction of intimacy, although the model best explained intimacy for the COA group. Results suggested that development is most delayed for daughters of alcoholic mothers. / Ph. D.

The relationships between working models of attachment and adjustment to college among first-year college students was examined in a longitudinal study. The results of this study indicated that when college students were classified as secure, dismissing, or preoccupied by the Adult Attachment Interview, significant differences emerged in their experience of separation anxiety, self-perceived competence, perceptions of relationships, and attachment-related behaviors. Over half of the secure group reported clinical levels of separation anxiety at the beginning of the academic year, however, they showed a significant decline in symptomatolgy over time indicating adaptive resolution of the distress associated with the developmental task of emancipating from home. All but one member of the preoccupied group had clinical levels of separation anxiety at the beginning of the year, and although they reported some decline in symptomatology over time l decrease in the number of symptoms did not reach statistical significance. The preoccupied group reported having the most people upon whom they could rely for support, and they went home more often than the other two groups. However, they were the least satisfied with the support they received. As predicted, separation anxiety was not prevalent in the dismissing group at any point in time. This group also reported the least number of people upon whom they could rely for support, but they perceived themselves as more socially competent than the secure or preoccupied groups. Finally, the dismissing group showed a significant increase in utilization of university health services across time. These findings lend support to the idea that working models of attachment are associated with differing approaches to affect regulation in situational and developmental contexts that elicit distress. Overall, the results of the present study provide evidence that attachment is associated with social-emotional adjustment during the course of the adolescent's emancipation from home and entry into college. / Ph. D.

This study examined the nature and prevalence of ego strength among early adolescent learners in grade nine attending an independent school. An in-depth literature review was conducted in order to explore the role and theories of ego development. Thereafter, theories and key aspects of various dimensions of adolescent development were highlighted. The empirical investigation included both quantitative and qualitative research methodology. A questionnaire was administered to one hundred and ten grade nine learners in order to obtain a broad measure of the respondents' ego and superego strength. Thereafter, two learners were selected in order to explore their experiential life worlds. The findings of the empirical investigation were compared with information that emerged from the literature study. The study was concluded by offering recommendations to parents, educators and professionals working in the field of psychology of education in empowering them in addressing the phenomenon of ego development among early adolescent learners. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Guidance and Counselling)

The deseg regation of schools in the post-1994 era in South Africa has led to an exodus of African children from township schools to multicultural suburban and inner city schools. This migration places African children in a multicultural school environment where the dynamics pose challenges for coping and adaptation if these children are to succeed academically. The challenge is even greater for adolescents who are also wrestling with critical developmental issues of adolescence in their quest for identity development and consolidation. Goleman (1995: 34) asserts that in order to succeed in any aspect of living, an individual requires emotional intelligence. Likewise, African adolescents who attend school in multicultural environments need to be emotionally literate to cope successfully and to adapt to the demands of the new schooling environment. In the light of this assertion, this study aimed to determine the extent to which emotional intelligence mediates the identity development of African adolescents in multicultural schools. The five domains of emotional intelligence investigated in this respect were: self-awareness, self-regulation, self-motivation, empathy and effective relationships. Six schools were selected for the empirical investigation: three from the townships and three from the suburbs. 226 African adolescents from suburban and 240 from township schools participated: a total of 466 participants. The findings revealed that self-awareness, empathy and effective relationships play stronger mediating roles in the identity development of African adolescents in township schools while self-regulation plays a stronger mediating role for African adolescents in suburban multicultural schools. The two groups did not, however, differ significantly regarding the mediating role of self-regulation in their identity development. Further mediating roles of emotional intelligence to the identity development of African adolescents were investigated according to gender, stage of adolescence and a preferred language for learning and teaching. Finally, a model was proposed for developing empathy among African adolescents who attend schools in suburbs. / (D.Ed. (Psychology of Education))

The research was undertaken to determine the way in which the Black adolescent forms a pupil identity. Special attention was focussed on the various relationships formed by th~ Black adolescent within and outside the school environment. Literature indicates that pupil-identity is one of a variety of identities formed. Once a positive pupil-identity is established, the adolescent is in a position to actualise himself adequately. The empirical research was undertaken by administering a questionnaire to 555 Black secondary school pupils. The questionnaire comprised four categories namely, the adolescent's relationship with the self, parents, peer-group and the school. It was found that each of the four categories showed a significant positive correlation with pupil-identity formation. As this research project could not cover all aspects of the Black adolescent, recommendations for future research have been made. / Psychology of Education / M.Ed. (Psychology of Education)

Thesis (MA (Psychology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: With the growing HIV/AIDS epidemic in South Africa, it is important to understand the sexual behaviours that place youth at risk of HIV/AIDS, other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and unwanted pregnancies in order to develop and implement appropriate health-promoting interventions. Parents are in a unique position to help adolescents to have responsible attitudes and behaviour towards sex, and to educate adolescents into healthy sexual adults. The study aimed to investigate parent-adolescent communication and adolescents’ sexual risk-taking behaviour, and the relationship between them. An exploratory, descriptive research design and a quantitative methodological approach were used. One biographical questionnaire, three measuring scales of parent-adolescent communication and one questionnaire about adolescent sexual risk-taking behaviour were used as measuring instruments. Data from 95 female adolescents who were attending the family planning facilities of two clinics in the Metropole Region of the Western Cape were employed for the study. The collected data were analysed using descriptive statistics, Spearman’s correlations, analyses of variance and multiple regression analysis. The findings revealed a high prevalence of sexual risk-taking behaviours among adolescents in the Western Cape. Family environment characteristics, especially the parents’ marital status, play a significant role in both parent-adolescent communication and sexual risk-taking behaviour. Unexpected findings were some significant correlations that were found between different factors of both general and sexual parent-adolescent communication. Spearman’s correlations and best subsets multiple regression analysis were performed on the data to ascertain which factors are significantly correlated or associated with adolescent sexual risk-taking behaviour. In both statistical analyses, the amount of parent-adolescent communication about sexual issues was the most important. A significant negative correlation between adolescents’ sexual risk-taking behaviours and the amount of parent-adolescent communication about sexual issues illustrates the positive influence of amount of parent-adolescent sexual communication on adolescents’ sexual risk-taking behaviour. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Met die groeiende MIV/VIGS epidemie in Suid-Afrika is dit belangrik om te verstaan watter gedrag jong mense in gevaar stel om MIV of ander seksueel oordraagbare siektes op te doen of om ongewens swanger te word om daardeur programme wat hierdie gedrag verminder, te kan ontwikkel en implementeer. Ouers is in ‘n unieke posisie om te verseker dat hulle adolessente kinders verantwoordelike houdings en optrede teenoor seks ontwikkel en om hulle op te voed tot volwassenes wat ‘n gesonde houding tot seks het. Die doel van hierdie studie was om die verhouding tussen ouer-adolessente kommunikasie en die seksuele waaggedrag van jong mense te ondersoek en die verhouding tussen hulle te bepaal. ‘n Ondersoekende, beskrywende navorsingsontwerp en ‘n kwantitatiewe metodologiese benadering is gebruik. ‘n Biografiese vraelys, drie vraelyste oor ouer-adolessente kommunikasie en een vraelys oor die seksuele waaggedrag van jong mense is deur 95 adolessente meisies voltooi wat die gesinsbeplanningsfasiliteite by twee klinieke in die Wes-Kaapse metropool besoek het. Die data is ontleed deur die berekening van Spearman (Rho)-korrelasies, variansieontleding, meervoudige regressie-analise en beskrywende statistiek. Die bevindings dui op ‘n hoë voorkoms van seksuele waaggedrag onder adolessente in die Wes-Kaap. Gesinsomstandighede, veral die ouers se huwelikstatus, speel ‘n belangrike rol in ouer-adolessente kommunikasie en seksuele waaggedrag. Onvoorsiene bevindings was die beduidende korrelasies tussen verskillende faktore van beide algemene en seksuele ouer-adolessente kommunikasie. Spearman-korrelasies en best subsets meervoudige regressie-analise is op die data uitgevoer om te bepaal watter faktore betekenisvol met adolessente waaggedrag korreleer of daarmee geassosieer is. In beide statistiese analises is gevind dat die hoeveelheid ouer-adolessente kommunikasie oor seksuele kwessies die belangrikste was. Daar was ‘n statisties beduidende negatiewe korrelasie tussen die adolessent se seksuele waaggedrag en die hoeveelheid kommunikasie tussen die ouer en adolessent oor seks, wat beteken dat adolessente minder seksuele waaggedrag sal vertoon indien hulle ouers meer met hulle oor seksuele sake sal praat.

Thesis (MEdPsych (Educational Psychology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Duisende jong Suid-Afrikaners vertrek jaarliks op ‘n gapingsjaar (”gap year”) oorsee. ‘n Populêre siening in die media asook die wyer publiek is dat hierdie gapingsjaar die ideale tydperk is vir jongmense waar hulle hulleself kan “vind”. ’n Gapingsjaar word tipies onderneem in laat adolessensie (tussen 18 en 25 jaar). Die idee dat laat adolessente hulleself moet “vind” sluit aan by die ontwikkelingsteoretici se psigososiale konsep van identiteitsformasie. Die mees belangrike ontwikkelingstaak tydens laat adolessensie is die vestiging van ’n koherente identiteit en is ’n redelike mate van identiteitsverwerwing na afloop van adolessensie kritiek. ’n Belemmerde identiteitsverwerwing kan hul persoonlike selfstandigheid en outonomie wesenlik inperk. Die vraag het ontstaan of laat adolessente hulleself wérklik “vind” in ’n gapingsjaar soos die media-ideologie dit uitbeeld? Tot op hede (nasionaal en internasionaal) kon geen navorsing gevind word wat verband hou met ʼn gapingsjaar en identiteitsontwikkeling nie. Die doelstelling van hierdie studie was om die identiteitsontwikkelingstatus van Suid-Afrikaanse laat adolessente na ’n gapingsjaar te bepaal. Die basiese veronderstelling en populêre siening dat laat adolessente na afloop van ’n gapingsjaar ’n verworwe status van identiteitsontwikkeling het, is ondersoek. Om die identiteitstatus te assesseer is 288 Suid-Afrikaanse gapingsjaar laat adolessente genader en ’n kwantitatiewe opname metode is gebruik. Die gekose instrument vir die identiteitstatus ondersoek is die Extended Version of Ego Identity Status (EOM-EIS-II). ’n Demografiese vraelys is geadministreer om beskrywende data verkry en te kyk watter demografiese eienskappe statisties korreleer met die onderskeie identiteitsontwikkelingstatusse van respondente. Die gestruktureerde vraelys is via ʼn webtuiste, met pen en papier of telefonies voltooi. In stryd met die populêre siening en media-ideologie is die bevinding dat die minderheid respondente (slegs 14.5%) geklassifiseer kon word in die verworwe identiteitstatus na ‘n gapingsjaar. Die meerderheid val binne die moratorium- en diffusestatus wat beteken dat hulle nie ‘n binding gemaak het tot ‘n identiteit na hul gapingsjaar nie. Gapingsjaar adolessente se ouderdom, tyd terug na hul gapingsjaar, die behoort aan ‘n religieuse groep (tydens hul gapingsjaar) of hul verhoudingstatus (tydens hul gapingsjaar) is eerder geassosieer met ‘n verworwe identiteitstatus. Vroegtydige en pro-aktiewe terapeutiese en opvoedkundige ondersteuning tydens hierdie ontvanklike periode, kan bydra tot ’n groter positiewe identiteitsontwikkeling van jongmense. Hierdie studie kan bydra tot die kennisbasis vir Suid-Afrikaanse navorsing. / ENGLISH SUMMARY: Thousands of young South-Africans embark every year on a gap year overseas. A popular notion in the media as well as the wider public is that the gap year is the ideal period for young people to ‘find themselves”. A gap year is typically undertaken in late adolescence (age between 18 and 25). The idea that adolescents should ‘find’ themselves relates to developmental theorists’ psychosocial concept of identity formation. The most important development task during late adolescence is the forming of a coherent identity and a reasonable amount of identity formation after adolescence is critical. Impeded identity formation can severely curb their self-dependency and autonomy. The question is raised whether adolescents really ‘find’ themselves during a gap year, as the media would have us believe. No research (nationally and internationally) could be found which relates to the gap year and identity formation. The aim of this study was to determine the identity development status of late adolescents having been on gap year. The basic assumption and popular view that adolescents would have an achieved status of identity formation, is investigated. To assess the identity status, 288 South-African late adolescents who has taken a gap year was asked to participate in a quantitative survey. The chosen instrument for the identity status investigation is the Extended Version of Ego Identity Status (EOM-EIS-II). A demographic questionnaire was also included to gain descriptive data. The data was used to test which demographic properties correlate with the respective identity formation statuses of participants. The structured questionnaire could be completed via a website, with pen and paper or telephonically. Contrary to the popular notion in the media and public, the finding is that the minority respondents (only 14.5%) could be classified in the achieved identity status after the gap year. The majority falls in the moratorium- and diffused statuses, which means that a binding was not formed with their identity after their gap years. Rather, demographics like age, time back after gap year, religious affiliation (during gap year) and relationship status was found to be associated with an achieved identity status. Early and pro-active therapeutic and educational support during this receptive period (adolescence), can contribute to better identity development of young people and this study can therefore contribute to the South- African research knowledgebase.

published_or_final_version / Social Work / Master / Master of Social Work