M. Ed. (Psychology of Education) / This study investigated stress prevalence among high school adolescents in Maseru, the capital city of Lesotho. The aim was to suggest guidelines on how to deal with adolescents’ stress. A total of 300 respondents were purposively chosen from 5 high schools in Maseru. The subjects completed a self adopted instrument based on reviewed literature and Adolescence Stress Questionnaire (ASQ). The results showed that most adolescents in the sample experienced stress. There was no significant difference in the experience of stress between female and male adolescents. The adolescents in the higher grade reported more stress than those in the lower grade. Home problems were perceived as the most stressful factors while academic and other factors were seen as lesser concerns. Availability of money was considered as the least important source of stress. Most adolescents preferred to be alone when they were under stress and a few used drugs. Implications of the findings for adolescents, parents, teachers and educational psychologists are discussed. / Teacher Education

Summaries in Afrikaans and Engish / Hierdie studie handel oor 'n hulpverleningsprogram vir die begaafde seun wat onderpresteer in die sekondere skool. Navorsing toon dat aansienlik meer seuns as meisies met hierdie probleem worstel en gevolglik word hulle voile potensiaal nie verwesenlik nie. Dit het 'n doeltreffende hulpverleningsprogram in die brandpunt van die studie gestel. Literatuurstudie toon dat baie bestaande hulpverleningsprogramme gerig is op primereskoolleerders en dat Suid-Afiikaanse hulpverleningsprogramme beperk is. Die doelstelling van die studie fokus op hulpverlening deur 'n interdissiplinere spanbenadering aan die adolessente begaafde seun wat onderpresteer. Die twee vraelyste vergemaklik identifisering van die eiesoortige probleme en behoeftes van die kind en fokus op die funksioneringsbeeld van die kind-in-totaliteit. Hulpverleningsvoorstelle word in die Akkumulatiewe BINGO-Plantabel vervat. Hulpverlening geskied intensief op 'n een-tot-een-basis en moet ortodidakties en ortopedagogies verantwoordbaar wees. Volgehoue bemoeienis met die opvoedeling lei tot noukeurige evaluering van die leerder, asook van die hulpverleningsprogram / This study deals with a support programme for the gifted boy who underachieves in the secondary school Research shows that more boys than girls experience these problems and consequently their full potential is not realised. Hence the focus on an effective assistance and support programme. Literary studies show that many existing support programmes target the primary school pupils and that South Afiican support programmes are limited. The aim of the study focuses on assistance to the gifted adolescent boy who underachieves, through an interdisciplinary team approach. The two questionnaires facilitate identification of the unique problems and needs of the child and focus on his totality. The Accumulative BINGO Plan chart contains suggestions for assistance. Support is intensive on a one-to-one basis and must be according to orthodidactic and orthopedagogical principles. Continuous involvement with the educand leads to an accurate evaluation of the learner and the support programme. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Orthopedagogiek)

Summaries in English and Afrikaans / Text in Afrikaans / In hierdie studie is gepoog om te bepaal hoe adolessente adapteer wanneer hulle alleen (sonder hul gesin) in Suid-Afrika agterbly terwyl hul ouers langtermyn buitelandse <liensverng. Om te kon bepaal hoe adolessente adapteer, is daar eerstens 'n uitgebreide literatuurstudie onderneem. Die Veerkragtigheidsmodel van gesinstres, aanpassing en adaptasie van McCubbin is as teoretiese onderbou gebruik. Tweedens is 'n empiriese studie onderneem deur die gebruik van die "A-Cope" vraelys om te bepaal watter adaptasiegedragspatrone en adaptasiegedragstipes deur adolessente gebruik word in stresvolle situasies (soos byvoorbeeld wanneer hulle alleen in Suid-Afrika agterbly wanneer hulle ouers langtermyn buitelandse <liens verrig). Die empiriese studie het aangetoon dat die adaptasiegedragspatrone en -gedragstipes, wat die mees waarskynlikste is, die vermyding van probleme is. Die mees onwaarskynlike adaptasiegedragspatroon is die gebruik van professionele ondersteuning. Aanbevelings is gemaak in die belang van adolessente, hul ouers en die maatskaplike werker van die Departement van Buitelandse Sake. / This study endeavoured to determine how adolescents, cope when they are left behind in South Africa (without their families) while their parents do long term foreign service abroad. To determine how adolescents cope an expansive literature study was firstly undertaken. The Resiliency Model of Family Stress, Adjustment and Adaptation by McCubbin served as the theoretical basis. Secondly, an empirical study was undertaken. The A-Cope index was used to determine which coping patterns and coping behaviour adolescents apply when dealing with stressful situations such as when they stay alone in South Africa while their parents serve abroad. The empirical study revealed that the coping patterns and coping behaviours that adolescents respectively apply the most, are avoidance of problems. The most unlikely coping behaviour that adolescents will apply, is to seek professional assistance. Recommendations are made in the interest of adolescents, their parents and the social worker at the Department of Foreign Affairs. / Social Work / M.A.(Social Work)

This study focuses on the concept of resilience, and seeks to determine the nature, and role, of personal attributes in adolescents' ability to bounce back from life's blows, and continue determinedly along the path of self-actualisation. The personal attributes impacting on the ability to surmount life's challenges are delineated by an empirical study focussing on twenty learning-disabled adolescents, half of whom demonstrate resilience, and half of whom appear to have turned their backs on self-actualisation. The study aims to provide educational psychologists with an in-depth understanding of the phenomenon of resilience, so that vulnerable youngsters might ultimately be therapeutically assisted to choose a more resilient attitude and behaviour. The results of the study delineate nine definite personal attributes which anchor resilience and promote self-actualisation, despite obstacle-ridden circumstances. Furthermore, results suggest that personal choice underlies resilience, implying that intervention targeted at inculcating resilience may well be a worthwhile exercise. / Psychology of Education / M.Ed.(Guidance and Counselling)

Thesis (MEdPsych)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: High-risk behaviour among adolescents places heavy burdens on the public health, social welfare and criminal justice systems of many countries. Today, Equine-Assisted Learning (EAL) is increasingly used as an adjunct and experiential intervention programme to support the learning and personal development of adolescents at risk. It combines counselling and educational programmes with interactive activities involving horses (Thomas, 2009). The aim of this investigation was to conceptualize the experiences of these at-risk adolescents in residential care (AIRC), since gaps exist in both international and national research pertaining to studies which focus on exploring adolescents' experiences of taking part in EAL programmes (Holder, 2011). An interactive, qualitative and multiple case study design was employed in this study. The research was conducted at a Western Cape residential care facility with five adolescents between the ages of 12 and 18, after they had completed a three-week EAL programme. The programme comprised five sessions of one hour each. Data was collected through a projective technique (collage), semi-structured individual interviews, and a focus group interview. The research findings suggested that the at-risk adolescents experienced this Equine-Assisted Learning programme as positive and that it contributed to strengthening their relationships, enhancing attachment, self-esteem, empathy, communication, social competence, and a sense of mastery, as well as opening up future possibilities for them. As a relatively new field of study in South Africa, Equine-Assisted Learning can make a significant contribution to fostering the learning and development of adolescents in residential care. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die hoë-risiko gedrag van adolessente plaas 'n swaar las op lande se openbare gesondheid, maatskaplike welsyn- en kriminele regstelsels en sodoende word 'Equine Assisted Learning' (EAL) toenemend gebruik as 'n aanvullende en ervarings-intervensieprogram om die leer en persoonlike ontwikkeling van adolessente in nood te ondersteun. In EAL, word berading en opvoedkundige programme met interaktiewe aktiwiteite wat perde betrek, gekombineer (Thomas, 2009). Die doel van die studie was om hoë-risiko adolessente in residensiële sorg se ervarings van 'n EAL intervensieprogram te konseptualiseer, aangesien daar op beide internasionale en nasionale vlak 'n gebrek aan navorsing is wat fokus op die verkenning van adolessente se ervaring van deelname aan EAL programme (Holder, 2011). 'n Interaktiewe, kwalitatiewe en veelvuldige gevallestudie ontwerp is in hierdie studie ontplooi. Die navorsing is uitgevoer in 'n Wes-Kaapse residensiële sorg fasiliteit met die hulp van vyf adolessente tussen die ouderdomme van 12 en 18, nadat hulle drie weke lank aan 'n EAL program deelgeneem het. Die program het bestaan uit vyf sessies wat elk een uur geduur het. Data is ingesamel deur gebruik te maak van projektiewe tegniek (collage), semi-gestruktureerde individuele onderhoude asook 'n fokusgroep-onderhoud. Navorsingbevindings het voorgestel dat adolessente wat risiko beloop, die EAL program as positief ervaar. Dit blyk ook dat dit bygedra het tot die bevordering van sekere aspekte soos verhoudings, hegting, selfbeeld, empatie, kommunikasie, sosiale bevoegdheid, 'n gevoel van bemeestering en die daarstel van toekomstige moontlikhede. 'Equine Assisted Learning' is 'n relatiewe nuwe studieveld in die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks, en kan daarom betekenisvol bydra tot die bevordering van leer en ontwikkeling van adolessente in residensiële sorg.

The main aim of this thesis was to investigate decision making from a broad developmental perspective to clarify the role of the underlying mechanisms influencing it. Problem solving and cognitive inhibitory capacity were chartered initially through the use of hypothetical vignettes depicting socially relevant situations and through the use of the Stroop task, to tap into automatic inhibitory capacity. Initial assumptions that prefrontal cortical refinement would denote enhanced social problem ability were not confirmed. Experience emerged as distinct factor in problem solving/decision-making, with the youngest participants equally as effective in producing solutions to situations that they had the most experience in. A shift in development is observed with maturation denoting greater experience and this being applied directly to problem solving and decision-making situations. Education was identified as a possible contributory factor in decision-making and this was explored in a cross-cultural study that tapped into a non-schooled population. The results reinforced the centrality of experience in shaping decision-making. Decision-making in regards to the use of experience was then looked at through real life decision-making situations, where adolescents were asked to provide their knowledge or experience of situations where risk was involved. Adolescents possessed the necessary knowledge to distinguish between optimal and sub-optimal decisions in terms of the consequences that risk behaviours carried with them. However, many still chose to engage in risky behaviours. This paradox could also be explained by actual experience, with the suggestion that positive experience in a peer group was serving as a pool from which adolescents drew to make future decision-making. If risk behaviours were not experienced adversely, the likelihood of their repetition was high. Taken together the findings suggest that adolescents are well equipped with the cognitive skills to make decisions. Compared to younger children, they have more experience of a greater range of situations from which to extrapolate responses from. They also have a great deal of knowledge and information about the negative consequences associated with a range of challenging situations and risk-taking behaviours. However, when faced with decisions in the social domain, the behaviour of friends and perceptions of what other people are doing are powerful influences on adolescent decisions.

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Science in Information Technology in Education

M.A. / The search for identity is an important developmental task during adolescence. During this period teenagers also evaluate their physical identity against existing external standards. Evaluation of the body is often done in comparison with the Western norms of beauty. These norms are however not universally attainable and can lead to negative evaluations of the body’s attractiveness, resulting in both negative evaluations of the body and body dissatisfaction, which creates concern due to the link that exists between body dissatisfaction and dieting. Diet behaviour has also been established as an etiological factor in the development of certain eating disorders. On the other hand positive evaluations of the body’s appearance and abilities are associated with higher levels of life-satisfaction. It is therefore necessary to develop interventions that could enhance female adolescents’ body evaluations, body-esteem and possibly also life-satisfaction albeit indirectly. Interventions that focused on more realistic evaluations of the self and attempted to enhance teenage girls’ self-esteem have already been implemented in the USA and Australia, but with mixed results. Existing research within the South African context that focus on female adolescents’ body evaluations, body-esteem and life-satisfaction are also limited and no studies could be found that investigated all three facets. The aims of this study were to develop and evaluate a psychosocial training programme (PTP), to enhance female adolescents’ body evaluations, body-esteem and life-satisfaction. A group of adolesscent girls (experimental group)(n = 39) participated in the PTP, while the control group (n = 33) looked at magazine photos and then answered questions about these photos. Both groups completed the following measurement scales before and after the completion of the PTP: Body evaluations (Body-Image Self-evaluation Colouring Lens, BISCL) (Gusella, Clark & van Roosmalen, 2003), body-esteem (Body Esteem Scale for Adolescents and Adults, BES) vi (Mendelson, White & Mendelson, 1996) and life-sattisfaction (Satisfaction with Life Scale,SWLS) (Diener, Emmons, Larson & Griffen, 1985). Firstly the experimental group’s mean averages on all measuring instruments were calculated before and after the completion of the PTP then compared to get an indication of the significance of differences in mean scores within the group. The programme resulted in statistically meaningful changes on al three the measured fascets. After the PTP the body evaluations of participants in the experimental group were less negative towards the form and function of their bodies (BISCL-v (p= .00) and BISCL-f (p= .00). The change in mean scores on the BES full scale (p= .003) and the subscales appearance (p= .01), attribution (p= .03) and weight (p= .00) indicated that evaluation of body- esteem was also more positive. Participants’ life-satisfaction was significantly higher after they participated in the PTP (p= .03). Effects sizes for the significance of difference in mean scores were also calculated, yielding a large effect on effect body evaluation (0.19 tot 0.20), a medium to large effect on body-esteem (0.12 tot 0.20) and medium effect on life satisfaction (0.11). These effect sizes suggest that the results also have practical significance. Secondly the mean scores of the experimental and control groups prior to and after the PTP were compared. No statistically meaningful difference was noted between the mean values of these two groups in terms of body evaluations, body-esteem or life- satisfaction. This is possibly due to the small sample size and variables such as age and ethnicity. In conclusion the psychosocial training programme shows promise as an intervention to enhance female adolescents’ body evaluations, body-esteem and life-satisfaction.

Adolescence is a time of great exploration and change. During this time, youth are transitioning both biologically and sexually into adults. Adolescents are also testing the boundaries of self-reliance and making choices about their personal relationships. Not surprisingly, aggressive urges are often driven by peers in pursuit of some form of identity (Masten 2004). Peers can have both positive and negative effects on the wellbeing on youth. Peer groups can provide emotional, physical, and social support to youth during a time of immense change (Parker and Asher 1987; Gest, Graham-Berman, and Hartup 2001). Peers can also model delinquent and risk-taking behaviors that have lasting health, social, and economic consequences throughout the life course. In an effort to understand the role of friendships in adolescent health, social scientists have increasingly focused on adolescent network structures within schools and the role various positions and peer group formations influence behaviors such as alcohol and cigarette use, violent and serious delinquency, and sexual risk-taking. While informative, peer networks studies have yet to adequately address how peer network structures based on immigrant generation and types of marginalized social positions influence health risk behavior engagement among adolescents. In three studies, I address the dearth of research in these areas, using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health). The first study investigates the influence of generational peers on alcohol misuse among immigrant youth. Testing hypotheses derived from sociological theories of generations regarding race/ethnicity, gender, and immigrant generation, findings from this study demonstrate generational ties are inversely related to alcohol misuse for immigrants and these effects depend partly on race/ethnicity and gender. The second study investigates the effects of specific network forms of social isolation on heavy episodic drinking and cigarette use among adolescents. The central finding from this study is that different network-based forms of social isolation had varying effects on alcohol and cigarette use when compared to sociable youth. The final study examines the relationship between types of social isolation and violent delinquency when compared to sociable youth. Deriving hypotheses from general strain theory, I test whether the isolation-violence relationship varies across isolation types when compared to sociable youth. I also test whether other negative experiences and circumstances (strains) tied to adolescence moderate the relationship between isolation types and violent delinquency. Finally, studies indicate a consistent gender gap in criminality. Therefore, I test whether the isolation-violence relationship differs by gender. Findings demonstrate that socially disinterested youth show a greater capacity for violent behavior, but other types of marginalized youth showed no difference in violence when compared to sociable youth. Results also suggest that some types of strain moderate the isolation-violence relationship and that these patterns are gendered.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of students' self-concept and their perceptions of family environment in the psychosocial adjustment and academic achievement of accelerated college students in a residential program. A secondary purpose was to investigate the differential role of those factors for students of diverse ethnic backgrounds.