M.A. / Widowhood is a condition of an incomplete family structure resulting from death. Its consequences such as the absence of the father and husband can be aggravated, decreased or neutralised due to the effects of other conditions, relating to the availability of funds, relatives and community services. Widowhood presents problems and difficulties that most widowed people have to face. The elderly widows are faced with learning to live alone; leaving their own homes and adjusting to life with relatives; financial problems; and immediate care and support. The young widows, in addition, are faced with problems relating to decision-making; managing large sums of money; child upbringing; dispute with in-laws, relatives and older children over the death benefits and estate; lack of support and development programmes for young widows. Widows experience multiple problems that are more common in nature and necessitate a more preventative and developmental approach. Widows' problems are often ignored as, in most instances, they are classified as single mothers, like divorced or unmarried mothers, without paying special attention to the specific condition of widows in particular. Special community and organisational programmes to support and empower widows to cope with social, emotional and economic situations are lacking. Delamont (1980:221) argue that, yet not only is the evidence that being widowed catches most women unprepared financially, socially and emotionally, the study of women in this predicament has been neglected. The problems and factors associated with the management of death benefits by widows have also been neglected.

D.Litt. et Phil. / A career guidance training workshop based on a taxi ride metaphor was developed to train teachers to offer an indigenous career guidance programme to students in disadvantaged communities. The innovation comprised a trainee's handbook as an adjunct to the workshop, structured workbooks for students in the classroom, and trainers' manuals for independent trainers. Principles of developmental research ensured that each phase was completed sequentially and successfully with the necessary material prerequisites and methodologies; this guided the process of workshop design and development through the problem analysis, design, developmental, and evaluation phases. Theories of career development and planning, and integrative life planning influenced the psychology behind the taxi ride model, whose objective was to help students gain a sense of mastery over the process of career decision-making and problem solving, thereby learning a life skill. The workbook was pilot-tested on two occasions, and four training workshops were pilot-tested with modifications made after each one. Group work principles ensured the workshops were experiential and educative. Workshop evaluation questionnaires further improved the innovation. Knowledge, Attitude and Self-efficacy scales, formulated in semantic differential form, were developed and refined to measure the success of the workshops by pre- and post-testing. Three more workshops were run with no revisions. Two hypotheses were formulated to measure the impact of the study; results revealed statistically significant changes in the knowledge and attitude scales, and positive changes in self-confidence levels in offering career guidance. There were no significant pre- and post-test differences between the groups for the biographical factors, except educational qualifications which did influence the findings. In addition, an observation schedule revealed that trainees had acquired great skill in applying the workbook. Limitations of the study included the absence of a control group, and an impact evaluation of the interactive dialogue between teacher and student. Future research in turn could focus on the impact the workbook has on the student. The contribution to psychology is that the indigenous South African practice model incorporates a rational and emotional process of career decision making, which can be applied by trained teachers and community leaders, rather than solely by professionals.

D.Litt. et Phil. / Endometriosis is among the most common gynaecological maladies affecting women's reproductive health and is also known to be associated with infertility. The pathogenesis of endometriosis is however not well understood. Altered immunity has been indicated in the pathophysiology of this puzzling disease. Over the last decade or more the research evidence suggesting that stress might play a role in the pathogenesis of various illnesses has grown significantly. According to certain tenets of psychoneuroimmunology, behaviour and cognitive therapy, by changing an individual's reaction to stress and increasing the ability to cope with stress, thereby altering immune function, may have an effect on the proliferation of a specific illness, in the case of this study, endometriosis. Various behaviour patterns used by individuals to deal with personal and environmental stressors, have been identified. The incessant struggle to overcome real and imagined obstacles imposed by events, time and the actions of other people typifies the Type A behaviour pattern. The aims of this study were to detemine, whether there were, in a randomly chosen group of patients with endometriosis, persons with high indices of Type A behaviour; to determine whether the modification of Type A behaviour in these patients had a positive effect on their biopsychosocial functioning and finally, whether the modification of Type A behaviour had a positive effect on these patients' endometriosis-related infertility. Endometriosis patients being treated at an infertility clinic were invited to participate in the study. Forty-two subjects were recruited. A psychometric test battery was administered to all the participants. Based on the results of the Videotaped Structured Interview, the subjects were equally divided into three groups: a low index Type A group, a high index Type A group and a middle group. Experimental groups 1 and 2 received counseling aimed at reducing Type A behaviour, using the revised version of the SARCPP, which was originally used with coronary heart disease patients. The test battery was again administered after the intervention. It was found that a subset of endometriosis patients did show higher indices of Type A behaviour. Furthermore an intervention that was found to be successful in reducing the Type A behaviour intensity and frequency in subjects with coronary heart disease was also found to be similarly successful in a subset of women with endometriosis. The most significant finding was the increase in pregnancies among the group of subjects who had been exposed to the treatment. Type A behaviour modification was indeed found to be effective in the treatment of infertility in couples where the female experienced endometriosis-related infertility.

M.Phil. / The foundation of Earned Value Performance Management (EVPM) was the cost/Schedule Control Systems Criteria originally defined in the USA in 1967. Earned Value Performance Management has traditionally been used in Defense projects with budgets in excess of R100M. Private industry is now implementing EVPM for major projects, which are large, complex or geographically dispersed. It is the objective of this dissertation to determine whether the Earned Value concept as developed over the years to the form it is in today is being used in the South African construction industry or not. As part of this dissertation the author devised and distributed a questionnaire to a limited and targeted demographic of Project Management practitioners. The results found that the concept of Earned value is being used in some form or other in selected few companies within the South African Construction industry. While it has been recognized, it's benefits are not being fully utilized. The benefit of the Earned Value concept contributing to the successful completion of a project is being acknowledged and more and more construction companies are slowly making Earned Value an intricate part of their Project Management system

M.A. / This study was conducted to ascertain whether there is a significant relationship between, parental pressure, stress levels and athletic performance in high school track and field athletes. The question can be asked whether parental pressure will result in increased stress levels in the athlete and therefore poorer performance? Sixty-six high school track and field athletes, between the ages of 13 and 18 years, were selected for the study. The athletes were taken from training groups and an Afrikaans high school to Provide a sample that included both elite and social athletes. The IPAT-Anxiety Scale, Sport Competition Anxiety Test (SCAT), SASOL junior tables and three self-designed questionnaires were used to determine the athletes' stress levels, amount of parental pressure and performance measurements. Significant relationships were found between parental pressure, increased stress levels and poorer performance. The more parental pressure experienced by the athlete the higher his stress levels and consequently the poorer his performance.

M.A. / AIDS, the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, has become a serious public health concern in most cities in countries worldwide. Since the discovery of AIDS there have been impressive advances in the understanding of the AIDS virus, its routes of transmission and its methods of prevention. But even these hard-won-discoveries have not yet led to a drug that can cure this deadly disease or to a vaccine that can prevent it. In the light of this it would appear that a different approach to the management of AIDS is currently of utmost necessity. AIDS can be prevented by empowering individuals with the knowledge of AIDS transmission and prevention, thereby eliminating their ignorance and increasing their understanding, empathy and compassion for those currently involved in dealing with this struggle. The implications of AIDS and the HI-virus (human immunodeficiency virus) range far beyond the AIDS/HIV patients themselves. The affects of HIV and AIDS are felt by family members, partners and friends whose relationships are placed under immense strain, co-workers who are confronted with their own fear and compassion and by those at high risk for the disorder who are continually faced with ridicule and discrimination. This study focused specifically on the workforce of South Africa whose economic productivity is essential for South Africa's continual development and existence. In the absence of a fully developed and integrated social infrastructure, South Africa is reliant on its workforce for its monetary contribution in support of the unemployed, underprivileged, disabled and desolate of this country. The aim of this study was to obtain a better level of understanding of the workforce's knowledge regarding HIV and AIDS, to become aware of misunderstandings and myths which could hamper prevention and to review current methods of public education in order to enhance future methods of knowledge empowerment. A healthy workforce can constitute a strong support network, and thereby not place further strain on an already overwhelmed economy and government.

M.A. / A research study is undertaken with the aim of establishing what the attitudes and perceptions of supervisors and supervisees are regarding the rendering of cultural-sensitive supervision in social work. The aim of the study is to provide supervisors in social work with recommendations regarding the rendering of cultural-sensitive supervision. The amalgamation of organisations rendering social services has brought about multi-cultural and cross-cultural supervisional relationships that could be potentially problematic. The research process followed is the process identified by Mindel and McDonald in Grinnell (1993). The research process is initiated with a literature study on the concepts of supervision and cultural diversity. The research is limited to the Gauteng area and the study did not take place on a large scale due to the qualitative design utilised. An in-depth study is mader rather than a statistical analysis. Data collection takes place by means of semi-structured interviews with social work supervisors and self-administered questionnaires, completed by both supervisors and supervisees. The target group of the study is supervisors and supervisees employed by organisations which already render cross-cultural services. Results of the study indicate that supervisors and supervises generally don't experience problems in the rendering and receiving of cultural-sensitive supervision. Cultural sensitivity is perceived as being the acceptance of cultural factors such as background and values, as well as having a working knowledge of the cultural background, values attitudes etc. of the supervisees. Communication barriers seem to be the problem experienced by the majority of the participants of the study. It is recommended that supervisors receive further training in cultural-sensitive supervision and that cultural-sensitive supervision needs to focus on cultural values rather than biographical aspects such as race. Anthropology included in social work training, could address the need to enhance the knowledge base of social workers and supervisors, to the benefit of supervisor-supervisees relationships and thus the client system. Results and conclusions drawn from this study can not be generalised to the broader population of social workers and supervisors. Further research is needed to determine whether the perceptions and attitudes established in this study are the general perceptions and attitudes of social workers in South Africa.

M.A. / The aim of this study is to develop a divorce therapy program to support children of divorce. The programme is discussed in an attempt at evaluating whether children of divorced families are being supported in terms of their view of the reality of the situation as well as coping with the divorce. Divorce is described as an idiosyncratic life event that causes confusion and fear for all those involved. The affected child is a victim of these circumstances in that he has no control over the decisions that are made and are forced into a position where he is obliged to accept whatever others decide. The child's fear and needs are being ignored. These children have poor self concepts and experience conflict regarding their family concept. This programme was designed as an attempt at supporting children during these difficult periods and involves a comprehensive therapy. In order to accommodate the withdrawn child, the therapy is presented in the context of a group. The child finds it easier to cope if he realizes that he is not the only one whose parents are going through divorce. The child normally experiences feelings of shyness and embarrassment pertaining to the divorce, and regards himself as an outsider at school, and in his peer group. The child who is able to share his feelings with other children who experiences similar feelings will be able to better cope with his situation. The child often feels guilt and blames himself for the divorce. Such feelings are intensified if the parents fail to inform him about the impending divorce. This program offers the child an opportunity to discuss his feelings with other children, and to realise that he is not the only child subjected to divorce. Family concept difficulties occur as a result of the changed family circumstances, which difficulties are of such a nature that the child cannot solve same without professional assistance. In certain instances children attempt to solve their unbearable circumstances by fantasizing about the reconciliation of their parents, and the restoration of a normal and happy family life. This despite the fact that their parents are involved in a second marriage. Loyalty conflicts with associated guilt feelings arise due to the fact that children feel torn between their parents, and are of the view that they are obliged to choose between the parents. The ideal is to teach the child coping mechanisms to cope with the divorce and to support the child at this critical stage of his life.

An adequate supply of diatoms during the weaning stage (generally 5 - 10 mm shell length (SL)) is one of the primary constraints to the commercial culture of the South African abalone, Haliotis midae. Because of the seriousness of the problem, a project aimed at the development of an artificial weaning diet was initiated. Initially, the chemical composition (proximate composition, amino acid, fatty acid and mineral element profile) of juvenile H. midae was analyzed, as a general lack of such information was identified in a review. Due to the lack of knowledge on the nutritional requirements of H. midae, the formulation of the weaning diet was based on the essential amino acid (EAA) pattern of the shucked tissue, and the known nutrient requirements of haliotids. Subsequently, a water stable gel and pellet form of the diet were developed. The best water stability of a gel was obtained with a 1:3 agar/gelatine mixture which retained 70.7 ± 2.7 % of its dry weight after 24 h. Starch based pellets, however, retained 89.0 ± 0.6 % of their dry weight after 24 h. In a comparative growth trial, pellets produced a significantly better increase in SL and weight than gels after only 15 days. This was probably due to the better water stability of pellets, which resulted in a better nutritional quality than in gels. The feeding behaviour on both forms of the diet did not differ. Activity patterns were exclusively nocturnal and feeding frequency was consistently low. The percentage composition of the pelleted weaning diet, on a dry weight basis, was 5 % casein, 15 % gelatine, 15 % fish meal, 10 % Spirulina spp., 2.5 % fish oil, 2.5 % sunflower oil, 21.0 % dextrin, 23.0 % starch, 4.0 % of a mineral and 2.0 % of a vitamin mixture. The correlation coefficient between the EAA pattern of H. midae and the dietary EAA pattern was r⁷= 0.8989. Pellets were fed to juveniles in a 30 day growth trial to study the effect of photoperiod (12, 16, 20 and 23 hours of darkness) on growth and general nutritional parameters. A comparative experiment feeding diatoms was conducted under a 12hL: 12hD light regime at the same time. The SL and weight of the juveniles did not increase significantly with an increase in hours of darkness. The growth of juveniles fed on pellets did not differ significantly from those fed on diatoms. Percentage feed consumption (PFC), percentage feeding rate (PFR), feed conversion ratio (FCR), protein efficiency ratio (PER) and percentage protein deposited (PPD) were determined for the animals fed on pellets. None of the parameters were significantly affected by photoperiod. However, there were trends in that PFC increased with longer periods of darkness, while PPD decreased. The FCRs (0.44 ± 0.04 to 0.60 ± 0.19) and PERs (5.06 ± 1.74 to 6.64 ± 0.77) indicated that juveniles used the feed, and in particular the protein, very efficiently. Photoperiod did not have an effect on the specific activity of the digestive enzymes amylase, protease and lipase. The specific activity of amylase in the juveniles fed on diatoms was significantly higher than in the pellet fed groups. This was surprising as the main carbohydrate of diatoms is the ß-(l-3) glucan chrysolaminarin, and not starch, a ß-(l-4) glucan. Protease specific activity, on the other hand, was significantly higher in the pellet fed groups, indicating an ability to adapt to the high protein content in the artificial diet (35.48 %), compared to diatoms which had a protein content of 5 %. The specific activity of lipase did not differ significantly between groups, probably because of a similar lipid concentration (5 - 10 %) in diatoms and pellets. Finally, the effect of stocking density, ranging from 1250 to 10,000 juveniles/m2, on the growth of juveniles was evaluated. A model of hatchery productivity was developed based on this investigation. Hatchery productivity was defined as the number of juveniles per unit space reared through to the grow-out stage per unit time. The model predicted that maximum productivity would be achieved at a stocking density of 10,000 juveniles/m2. The results have shown that H. midae can be successfully weaned on an artificial diet, as the growth on the diet was not significantly different to growth obtained on diatoms. Long-term growth trials are needed to confirm these results. The importance of standardized experiments on the nutritional requirements and digestibility of abalone was emphasized. The importance of improved artificial diets, optimal culture conditions, as well as the application of biotechnological techniques to further abalone aquaculture was highlighted.

M.A. / Professional identity development of counselling psychologists in South-Africa occurs through seven (and possibly eight) phases of professional development. Phases of professional development are necessary when one attempts to establish optimal levels of professional identity development for counselling psychologists in terms of their experience and training. Using these phases, counselling psychologists may be compared in each development phase to ascertain his/her development or the lack thereof. The phases also serve as guidelines for both the training personnel and the counselling psychologist, enabling them to affect certain changes or modifications in order to optimise professional development for the counselling psychologist. The benefits of optimised development should not be underestimated. The objective of this comparative research study was to ascertain the extent of similarities found in the professional development phases, as postulated by Skovholt and Ronnestad (1995) and the results of the current research study. The eight phases are the conventional phase, transition to professional training phase, imitation of experts phase, conditional autonomy phase, exploration phase, integration phase, individuation phase and the integrity phase. The research strategy consists of a qualitative analysis of responses obtained from a structured interview. Analysis is made possible by way of a replication strategy together with the use of a matrix. The matrix consists of eight categories used by Skovholt and Ronnestad (1995) to describe the relevant developmental phase and to regulate the responses. After describing and allocating the responses according to the categories of the matrix, a storyline is derived by use of an iteration process. Themes become apparent which outline the developmental path across the eight proposed professional developmental phases. Both the categories and the themes are compared to those proposed by Skovholt and Ronnestad (1995). Great similarity was found. The differences and themes derived from this study can also be used as hypotheses for further research.