M.A. / In the face of economic hardship, social, political and cultural change, matriculants in South Africa are confronted with increased pressure when exploring and deciding on their career paths. This task in itself is complex and is expected to culminate in a career decision upon leaving school, even when subject to these and other extrinsic limitations over which the individual has no control. For example, the serious lack of career guidance programs in the large majority of our schools (Mathabe & Temane, 1993). Regardless, school pupils in South Africa are expected to make their preliminary choice in Standard 7 when they choose their matric subjects. Three years later they are expected to leave school with a career decision. These same individuals are also struggling to meet the challenges of adolescence and are searching for an identity they can call their own. It is surmised that those pupils who have not yet made a career decision are more likely to experience feelings of depression than those with definite career plans. This study regarding the relationship between depressive symptomatology and career choice, had the following objectives: A comprehensive literature review focusing on depression, depressive symptomatology, the aetiology of depression, theory and research with reference to the adolescent in particular. A further literature review focusing on various theories of career choice and research with particular reference to career indecision. A quantitative and qualitative investigation of career choice and depressive symptomatology in matriculants in South Africa. The initial part of the study focuses on the theoretical review of depressive symptomatology and career choice, to firstly define the concepts as operationalised in this study and secondly to explore the theory and research to date with reference to the factors contributing to and maintaining feelings of depression and career indecision in adolescents. The researcher reviews and discusses phenominological differences and similarities between the adult and adolescent experience of depression, with particular reference to depressive symptomatology, the approach used in this research. Career choice is also defined and discussed with reference to the developmental stage of adolescence. Various theoretical approaches with regard to depression and career choice are reviewed and discussed. Identity development, and the related concepts of self esteem and self efficacy are discussed, as well as the role of cultural factors, with reference to both depressive symptomatology and career indecision Matriculants from four different regions in Gauteng took part in the study. The sample comprised pupils from both genders and various population groups. Each pupil filled in a questionnaire developed by the researcher, the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the Career Decision Scale (CDS). The data collected from the self developed questionnaire provided insight into various factors of career choice such as realistic goals and dream goals, perceived restrictions and elements of self esteem. This data was described and interpreted in a qualitative analysis and from such the researcher inferred predominant themes and concepts with suggested avenues for further research. The quantitative data collected from the results of the BDI and CDS were statistically described and analyzed. From this data the statistically significant findings were presented and discussed with reference to theory and research. The researcher found that depressive symptomatology and career indecision are significantly related with the incidence of feelings of depression being related to career indecision and career indecision possibly giving rise to symptoms of depression. The study can be criticized for not including a measure of self esteem, a factor closely related to depressive symptomatology and career choice. A further criticism is that the most highly represented cultural groups were the English and Zulu speaking pupils, future studies should include pupils from all cultural groups. The qualitative analysis is subject to an interpretative bias, which may be subjective and influenced by the researcher's own views. The recommendations that were made as a result of this study are as follows: More research is needed into career choice and the incidence of depressive symptomatology with coenizance of levels of self esteem, a more representative sample and perceptions as regards career choice and limitations to certain vocations. The implied direction of the relation between career indecision and depressive symptomatology requires in depth research to further investigate the findings of this research. If career indecision does indeed give rise to feelings of depression, then programs that are being developed and those that are already in place should take cognizance of these results and include preventative measures in any future programs. The implied higher incidence of depressive symptomatology and career indecision in the black population requires further investigation and if the findings in this study are further supported, preventative action is desperately needed. Fifty percent of the pupils show signs of moderate to severe depression. Further research is needed to reaffirm these results and, if substantiated, urgent preventative measures should be taken.

M.Cur. (Intensive General Nursing) / From the professional ethical perspective the professional nurse is responsible for the treatment and nursing of a patient in acute pain by effectively handling pain in the first 48 hours post-operative following serious surgery. The professional nurse can treat patients optimally only if she has the necessary knowledge and skills with regard to the different methods of handling pain. By making effective handling of pain available to the patient, including the advantages and disadvantages, the professional nurse contributes to maintaining, promoting and restoring health. In this way she facilitates the patient in reaching his objective of obtaining wholeness and she obtains her objective of quality nursing. The aim of this study is to determine which method of handling pain, namely the intermittent bolus dose analgesics and patient controlled analgesics, offers the most advantages to the patient and the professional nurse. A quantitative, contextually descriptive research design was followed in which a survey method and a retrospective analysis of nursing and medical records were completed in order to determine the total amount of analgesic used and to investigate the haemodynamic stability while using analgesics. An analysis was done of the information collected by means of a structured pain control list. Results indicate that those patients using patient controlled analgesics use larger doses of analgesics and are haemodynamically more stable while using analgesics than those patients using the method of intermittent bolus dose analgesics. Following on the conclusion, nursing guidelines were established for nursing practice and recommendations were made for nursing practice, nursing education and further research.

M.A. / Organisational transformation has become a way of life. Transformation may be prompted by forces internal and external to the organisation. Typical organisational transformation involves the restructuring or elimination of jobs. Transformation of any organisation necessarily balances the elimination of outdated systems alongside the preservation of core assets. Change creates pressure in any organisation. This is especially true when the organisation has not had much experience in dealing with it. The first taste of major change in this situation can be traumatic. Organisational transition is slow, expensive and difficult. There is a tendency to believe that change can be instant, painless and quick. The process of making a major change to an organisation's identity requires people to let go of "how it was" and move through a period of doubt and uncertainty. The focus of this study is on describing the attitude of workers towards transformation. A standardised scale was used as a way of measuring the feelings and attitudes of workers towards transformation. The actual result reported from this study indicates that there is a lot of negative feelings and attitudes towards the whole transformation process.

D.Phil. / The dependancy of academic information services on information technology is growing, particularly as information technology is the primary infrastructure of a digital library . This is compounded by the fast changing/developing nature of information technology and the trend towards digitisation. The changing nature of information technology contributes to the need to manage it. The focus of this thesis is on the management of information technology with specific reference to the changing nature of this resource. The problem addressed is: What is the most effective way (model) of managing changing information technology in academic information services and how can the disciplines of the management of change and the management of technology be used to find such a way? To solve this problem and to find a suitable model with which to manage information technology the management of change as well the management of technology was studied. In doing so 11 variables (which should be included in a management model) were distilled from the literature. Directors of academic information services in the South African tertiary sector were approached to rank the variables, an exercise that indicated the more important variables in the South African context. The ranking was as follows: Vision of the role of information technology in the enterprise Integrated strategic information technology and business plans of the enterprise Environmental scanning Available resources in the enterprise Centralised management responsibility Information technology standards and architecture Technological forecasting Market analysis The human aspect with reference to mankind's influence on and use of technology Evaluation of the information technology Risk assessment. Of these 11 variables, the first six were identified as key criteria. When existing information technology models were evaluated, these key criteria were used as the most important measures of effectiveness. However, attempts to find a suitable existing model that accommodates all six key criteria were unsuccessful. Equally, the effort to find a model which could be adapted to meet the criteria, was unproductive, though an effort was made to enhance the most promising model. In the process it has also been established that there are additional measures to which a successful model must comply. The development of a new model was embarked upon with success. The development of the model was done in two stages. The first effort was limited to the six key variables, while it was expanded in the second attempt to include all 11 variables. The model reflects both the relationships between the variables and the influences exerted between them. In designing a model for the management of information technology, it was discovered that the aim or goal of the model should be an integral part of the model. Integrating the goal resulted in clarity and contributed towards understanding the relationships and influences between the variables. In evaluating the model after completion, it was concluded that none of the 11 variables were unique or restricted to the tertiary sector or to South Africa. This conclusion is significant because it implies that the model can be applied as a general model for the management of information technology, irrespective of economic sector or geographic location.

M.A. / There is a critical lack of local, clinical research into this growing problem which threatens to affect all of our lives, either directly or indirectly. The last government-sanctioned study on substance abuse in South Africa was conducted in 1970, and very limited research reports have been published that have reflected on the etiology, maintenance and treatment of the problem, either from a social or therapeutic perspective. This dissertation sets out to address the clinical, therapeutic issues of Substance Abuse disorder, including alcohol, within a South African context. The assumption of the author is that pathological personality styles and disorders underlie the problem of substance abuse in South Africa, as has been established in countries with similar substance abuse issues around the world. As will be seen in the following chapter, a distinct relationship has been established between the disorder of substance abuse, on Axis I and the personality disorders of Axis II, according to the DSM III-R. 4 A review of the literature will demonstrate the different findings surrounding this relationship, and describe the role that pathological personality patterns play in the development and maintenance of Substance Abuse disorder. These pathological personality styles and disorders are then discussed in detail, from the perspective of Millon's theory of personality. It is felt by this author that Millon's theory of personality provides a comprehensive framework for the discussion of the underlying personality issues associated with addiction. The extensive description of Millon's personality styles and disorders, their close association to the personality disorders described in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manuals, and their easy quantification through the MCMI II make Millon's theory, coupled with his test of personality the most well suited theory to form a foundation for the discussion and integration of an understanding of the problems associated with substance abuse in South Africa. In order to determine the relevance of foreign- based studies in a South African context, a study into the personality profiles of South African substance abusers was conducted at three rehabilitation centers within the Gauteng province of South Africa.

M.A. (Psychology) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

D.Phil. (Social Work) / Both woman and child abuse are pervasive social phenomena that affect woman and children of all races, nationalities, socio-economic groups and cultures. The co-occurrence of woman and child abuse is a social phenomenon that remains largely misunderstood by the public. Although the two categories of abuse often occur together, they are dealt with separately at an intervention level and managed by different institutions, non-governmental organisations and agencies. Child welfare organisations focus on child abuse often misdiagnosing or,ignoring woman abuse and women's organisations focus on woman abuse not making the link between woman and child abuse. This study assumes that the intervention of social workers isinfluenced by their theoretical framework and that a third theoretical framework is required to address this bifurcation in services to abused women and 'children. . This study examines the phenomenon of woman and child abuse co-occurring in the same family system and the implications that this has for practice. The findings of the study show a definite split in services provided to abused children and those provided to abused women. This split is seen not only in service provision but also in the theoretical frameworks of the social workers concerned, as well as the philosophies and mandates of the organisations for which they work. In addition, it was found that the phenomenon of woman and child abuse co-occurring is not well recognised or understood by social workers often leading to inappropriate and ineffective responses. The generalist practice framework is put forward as a means of addressing this phenomenon holistically and effectively. This framework is used to draw on aspects of the child welfare approach as well as the feminist approach and includes aspects of the strengths perspective and developmental social welfare to ensure a contextually appropriate framework. The Generalist Practice Model as described by Kirst, Ashman & Hull (2002) is utilized as a guideline for addressing woman and child abuse in same family systems.

D.Litt. et Phil. (Psychology) / The aim of this study was to investigate the effect that hypertension has on brain function. A neuropsychological test battery comprising of the following tests was employed as a multivariate measure of brain dysfunction in a quasiexperimental, matched group design: a) The Complex Figure Test of Rey (copy, immediate recall and delayed recall), b) the Logical Memory Test, c) the Digits Span Test, d) the Verbal Paired Associate Learning Subtest, e) the Controlled Oral Word Generation Test, fr the Trail Making Test, and the Digit Symbol Substitution Subtest, This permitted a comparison in brain functioning between a group of hypertensive and a group of normotensive participants that were matched according to age, handedness, level of education and sex. The matching of variables increased the sensitivity of the study by controlling extraneous variables and ensured that the groups were compatible on the paired variables. The results were statistically analyzed by employing the Mann-Whitney U statistic for small groups and the Chi-square statistic on the measured variables. Further, content analysis was employed to test for significant differences in strategies of coping, immediate recall and delayed recall of the Complex Figure of Rey. The results indicated that: 1. there were significant differences in attention and concentration, motor functioning, perceptual abilities, information processing, memory, and planning and organisation between the two groups, with the hypertensive group obtaininq significantly lower scores on test measuring these variables; and 2. there were no significant differences in the verbal abilities (word fluency) of the two groups. The results support previous research, finding indications of vocal lesions located across the brains of people suffering from hypertension. Practical implications of the results are discussed and recommendations for future research have been made...

M.A. / The objective of this research is to determine the effectiveness, or lack of, the mentor program, as part of the Rand Afrikaans University's (RAU) project 100, as well as obtaining workable suggestions to improve the mentorprogram. Project 100 was developed through RAU for first year students who did not obtain full exemption, but who were conditionally accepted. In the program the focus is on three main fields, namely: cognitive, meta-cognitive development, personal development and social adaptation. A variety of skills are taught to the students, in every field, so that the student can develop in total. The hope is through acquiring these skills the student will become more self-sufficient. Data is obtained through qualitative and quantitative research methodologies. Qualitative research consists of the interviews with students that took part in Project 100, as well as the analysis of mentor reports. Quantitative research is obtain by using the following measurement instruments: ability, processing of information and learning (LASSI), the learning and the General Questionnaire about Lifeskills and Aptitude. Exam marks were also used. Quantitative results shows that most students are positive towards the mentorprogram, but factors such as transport, freedom of choice of attendance and uncertainty about procedures influenced the program negatively. Results in turn shows that students who attend the program did not obtain higher academic results than the student who did not attend the program. Even though the student attended Project 100, this does not guarantee the students academic success. The students attitude, motivation and preparedness to acquire new skills and the ability how to implement them influences the success of the students academic, personal and social life.

M.A. (Social Science) / Please refer to full text to view abstract