Psychobiography can be viewed as the re-writing of an individual’s life story previously undetected. In general it consists of a combination of two central elements: biography and psychological theory that aim to explain the particular individual’s psychological development. This particular study serves to explore the extraordinary life of renowned singer, songwriter, artist and activist, John Winston Lennon (1940-1980). The basis for this investigation will take the form of notable biographical accounts of the subject’s life, together with Austrian psychiatrist Alfred Adler’s (1938) theory of Individual Psychology, which recognizes the importance of human society for the development of individual character and the orientation of every single action and emotion in the life of a human being. Adler’s theory further explores that the main motives of human thought and behaviour are an individual’s striving for superiority and power, partly in compensation for his feeling of inferiority. The psychobiographical data collection and analysis for this research thesis will be guided by Yin’s (1994) theory of ‘analytic generalisation’, which uses a theoretical framework in selecting relevant data which develops a matrix as a descriptive framework for organizing and integrating that data, and Alexander’s (1988) analytical model which focuses on lifting out themes through principal identifiers of salience was used and applied. John Winston Lennon expressed his personal experiences and ideals through his songs and became the spokesman for his generation on modern day issues such as feminism and world peace. It is however, unfortunate that Lennon throughout his life remained a boy who felt rejected and unloved by his parents and strove to be superior in all aspects of his rich life in an attempt to acquire the love and acceptance that was not bestowed on him as a child.

The study is of a psychobiographical nature, employing a psychological theory as a paradigm within which to uncover the narrative of an individual’s life. There are relatively few studies of this nature, particularly with a South African focus. The study applied a qualitative psychobiographical research method which aimed to describe Mahatma Gandhi's psychological development according to Erik Erikson’s (1950) Psychosocial Developmental Theory. Mohandas Karamchund Gandhi or Mahatma Gandhi as he was generally known was a major political and spiritual leader. Although much has been written on his life, a psychobiography has not yet been written. He was chosen as the research subject through purposive sampling on the basis of interest value, uniqueness and significance of his life. The data collection and analysis was conducted according to Yin’s (1994) ‘analytic generalization’ which incorporated Erikson’s theory of psychosocial stages. Alexander’s (1988) nine proposed guidelines assisted in the process of data analysis. The study concluded that Gandhi had attained the ego virtues of hope, will, purpose, competence, fidelity love, care and wisdom as proposed by Erikson’s (1950) Psychosocial Developmental Theory within the delineated age frame.

Psychobiographical research, with the use of psychological theory, allows us to uncover and unravel the life of an individual. This important area of research for the application of a psychological theory has, however, been under-utilized, especially in South Africa. The importance of psychobiographical case study research for the development and testing of theories of human development throughout the lifespan, has been supported by a number of academics in the field. The research subject was Sibella Margaretha (Isie) Krige. Isie (1870-1954) was married to General Jan Christiaan Smuts (1870-1950). He was a prominent South African and Commonwealth statesman, military leader, botanist and philosopher. Although much has been written on General Smuts, a psychobiography on the life of Isie had not been written yet. Isie was chosen as the research subject through purposive sampling. The study employed a qualitative psychobiographical research method, which aimed to explore and describe Isie’s psychological development in terms of Daniel Levinson’s (1996) theory of the Human Life Cycle. Collected data were analysed in accordance with Huberman and Miles’ (2000) approach. It integrated three sub-processes, namely data reduction, data display, as well as the drawing of conclusions and verification. The findings of the study indicate that Isie’s life was consistent with the pattern which Levinson (1996) identified. Isie was relatively successful in resolving the life tasks and transitional periods proposed by Levinson. The findings of the study also indicated that the development of Isie’s life structure was strongly influenced by a number of sociohistorical and global events. This research study has given a positive demonstration of the value of development theory. Furthermore, it emphasized the uniqueness of individuals in coping with the challenges of life. As a result it has opened up the possibility of perceiving people and their actions in a different way. Consequently, recommendations regarding the psychobiographical research design and methodology in future have been made.

The South African businessman, Brand Pretorius, was born in the rural Orange Free State town of Steynsrus in 1953. Pretorius rose to prominence in the motor industry in South Africa and he retired in 2011 as Chairman of McCarthy Motor Holdings Limited the largest motor retailer in South Africa. Pretorius was selected for this psychobiographical study by means of purposive sampling, given his extraordinary business achievements. Pretorius is publicly recognised as one of South Africa’s most successful businessmen and leaders. Psychobiographical research typically takes into consideration the entire life of an individual with the aim of uncovering the story of an individual’s life through the lens of a particular theory. The aim of this study was to explore and describe the leadership development of Brand Pretorius juxtaposed against the model of authentic leadership proposed by Avolio and Luthans (2003). The life history of Brand Pretorius was studied using a qualitative single-case study design. The psychobiographical research method allowed the single-case to be studied spanning his entire career. Data was collected from both primary and secondary sources. Conceptual matrices were used to organise and integrate the findings against the model of authentic leadership. The use of multiple data sources increased the validity and reliability of the research process and findings. To ensure ethical integrity the researcher obtained informed consent from Pretorius. The findings of this research study indicate that Pretorius was able to successfully display the authentic leadership dimensions of self-awareness, internalised moral perspective, balanced processing, relational transparency and positive psychological capacities throughout the course of his career.

This study examined the effects of life experience information on the prediction of domain knowledge. Specifically, it was hypothesized that individuals with a higher level of experience within a domain would have a higher level of domain knowledge, and that attribution of experience (e.g., educational experience, extracurricular experience, etc) would influence the type of domain knowledge assessment on which an individual was most successful (e.g., open-ended scenarios vs. multiple-choice questions). In order to test these hypotheses, participants completed a biodata measure, various ability and non-ability measures, and a set of domain knowledge tests. Hypotheses were evaluated in the context of regressions and structural equation modeling. Results showed that biodata had significant predictive validity for domain knowledge.

Psychobiography is the formulation of an individual's narrative according to a psychological theory. Psychobiographical researchers face a number of challenges. One pertinent challenge is the limited amount of psychobiographical research conducted at academic institutions, including South Africa. Although a number of studies had been completed in the past decade, the impact of psychobiographical research remains negligible. Although much has been written about Ray Charles, none of the existing literature adopted a specific psychological focus. Charles developed from a young boy in a poverty stricken, racially segregated society into an exceptionally successful musician who worked productively until he died at the age of 73. He was selected as the subject on the basis of interest value, uniqueness and significance of life achievements. The primary aim of this study was to explore and describe the development of Charles according to Levinson's (Levinson, et. ai, 1978) theoretical framework. Levinson's theory of adult development identifies and describes the important changes that occur throughout the lifespan of an individual. A secondary aim was to provide an understanding of Charles within the social, economic and historical context in which he lived. The data collection and analysis was conducted according to Yin's (2003) 'analytic generalization'. The data was analysed according to three linked sub-processes proposed by Huberman and Miles (1994).

In a psychobiography a psychological theory is used as a framework to uncover the story of an individual. The psychobiographical approach to research tends to be underutilised. The result of this is that an important area for the application of psychobiographical theory and the study of completed lives is neglected. The value of psychobiographical studies has been advocated by many scholars in the field of psychobiographical research for the development and testing of theories relating to human development. The subject under investigation in this psychobiography is Michael Jackson. Although much has been written about Jackson, not much of the existing literature adopts a psychological focus. The sampling procedure was purposive, as the subject was deliberately selected. The aim of this research was to explore and describe the life of Jackson through the use of the psychobiographical case method. Life history material in the form of biographies, newspaper articles, documentaries and interviews aided in creating a biographical sketch of Jackson's life. The progression of Jackson's personality development was analysed using Erikson’s psychosocial development theory. The data collection and analysis were conducted according to Yin's analytical generalisation which consists of two main strategies: (1) using a theoretical framework as a guide to determine what data are relevant, and (2) developing a matrix as a descriptive framework for organising and integrating the data. Furthermore, the process of data analysis was aided by the use of guidelines prepared by Alexander with Erikson’s psychosocial development as the theoretical framework. This research undertaking can be recognised as a positive demonstration of the value of Erikson’s psychosocial developmental theory in understanding the process of Michael Jackson's personality development. Recommendations regarding future research that utilises the psychobiographical research design and methodology have been made.

Psychobiography is a qualitative research design used to explore and understand the life story of an individual through the lens of psychological theory. The application of theory is typically done to finished lives of well-known or enigmatic people, and covers the person’s entire lifespan. The aim of the study was to explore and describe the personality development of the Rastafarian reggae musician Bob Marley.To meet this aim the study created a comprehensive picture of Marley’s life within the particular social, economic and historical context in which he lived. Marley’s work was considered influential both during and after his life. His music is listened to by diverse groups of people, and is known internationally. Marley’s personality was explored by applying Eric Berne’s theory of Transactional Analysis (TA) to his life story. Data was collected and analyzed using a strategy consisting of three steps, namely, data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing and verification. Results of the study indicated that TA is a suitable theory for creating insight into the life of this historical figure, and has led to an increased understanding of the application of this psychological theory. Lastly, the study has contributed towards increasing the number of psychobiographical studies conducted in the South African context.

This psychobiography is focussed on the life of Pope John Paul II, whose historical personage epitomises the redemptive theme of triumph over tragedy and eternal hope. A phenomenological approach to the study allowed the researcher to observe the subject’s lived experience through the theoretical lens of Erik Erikson’s psychosocial development theory as well has having his faith development illuminated by Fowler’s faith development theory. Together, these theories highlighted significant aspects of Pope John Paul II’s personality development, for the greater purpose of uncovering the significance of his historical personage by reconciling his spiritual, political and academic attributes. This psychobiographical undertaking was grounded in qualitative research in the form of a single case. Two methodological strategies were used in this study. Firstly, Alexander’s model was used to organise, extract, prioritise and analyse data. The indicators of salience ensured that all significant parts of biographical data were carefully considered for analysis. Guba’s criteria for trustworthiness guided the methodology to ensure reliable data extraction and interpretation. Posing specific questions to the data enabled the researcher to extract units of analysis relevant to the aim of the study. Secondly, the use of conceptual frameworks and matrices enabled the longitudinal exploration, categorisation and description of the stages of psychosocial and faith development. The findings of this psychobiographical study of Pope John Paul II strongly support the importance of Erikson’s (1950) theory in understanding the processes of personality development in an individual life. In this psychobiographical study, the complex process of adaption and growth was highlighted by Erikson’s (1950) theory and placed periods of Pope John Paul II’s development in context. This study also demonstrated that gaining meaning in life through faith (Fowler, 1981) provides the individual with greater internal support when adjusting to life changes. Furthermore, greater intentionality on the part of therapists to thread faith and spirituality into their practice, is evidence of the eugraphic impact of this study.

Marechera the Zimbabwean writer, poet and novelist emerged in the late 1970s as a new voice in African literature, but his writing career lasted less than a decade. It was his iconoclastic, dense style that expressed the psychological disintegration prevalent in Africa during this period and challenged the central beliefs of both the nationalist and post-independence eras. Defying the limitations of nationality, race and culture, Marechera’s writing explores universal issues, particularly urban existence in the late twentieth century. Marechera’s life and work were closely linked. His outspoken views and unorthodox lifestyle brought him into frequent conflict with the authorities and contributed to him being perceived as a cult figure. Through his work and personality he became a major inspiration and role model for the younger generation of writers in Zimbabwe and other African countries. The present study is a psychobiographical case study with the primary aim being to explore and describe the personality development of Dambudzo Marechera (1952-1987) using Alfred Adler’s theory of Individual Psychology. It was through the use of a theory of psychological development that a better understanding of Marechera’s personality, based on his cultural and historical background was achieved and a new interpretation and explanation was reported. The findings of the study can be generalised to the theory of individual psychology through the process of analytical generalization.