As the divorce rate consistently rises, the occurrence of single parent families are becoming increasingly prevalent. Despite the marked increase in single custodial parents, research on this population (and more importantly, into the positive aspects such as their subjective well-being) has been neglected. Over the past three decades, psychologists have shifted the emphasis of their research from examining demographic and pathogenic factors to a positive psychology framework focusing on personality and resilience. The general aim of this study was to explore and describe the subjective wellbeing, including satisfaction with life and general happiness, of divorced, single custodial parents. In addition, this study aimed to identify potential patterns among the aspects of subjective well-being investigated and aimed to explore the relationships between these patterns. Thirty-five participants were included for participation in this study by means of non-probability, purposive sampling. The research measures included a biographical questionnaire, the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) and Affectometer-2 Scale (AFM-2). The data were analysed by the researcher and an independent statistician in terms of descriptive statistics and cluster analysis, or according to content analysis. This reflects a triangulation data collection and analysis method. Key findings included the following: The results of the SWLS indicated that the majority of participants reported being slightly dissatisfied with their lives. The results of the AFM-2 indicated that the participants generally had high levels of positive affect, and low levels of negative affect. However, the participants’ overall levels of happiness were still relatively low. A four cluster solution was obtained, with the clusters being significantly different from each other on all input variables. The first cluster experienced high levels of positive affect, low levels of negative affect, and high levels of overall happiness. The second cluster experienced predominantly slight dissatisfaction with their lives, high levels of positive affect, low levels of negative affect, and slightly low levels of overall happiness. The third cluster reported mostly dissatisfaction with their lives, low levels of positive affect, high levels of negative affect, and very low levels of overall happiness. The fourth cluster experienced predominantly slight satisfaction with xi life, slightly high levels of positive affect, neutral levels of negative affect, and low levels of overall happiness. It appeared that clusters containing participants who were satisfied with their jobs, were involved in a personal relationship and who participated in leisure activities, all experienced higher levels of subjective well-being. Overall, this study emphasises the value of and the need for South African research on the subjective wellbeing of divorced, single custodial parents.

D.Ed. / According to Victor Frankl each person determines his own destiny by making choices and each individual is responsible for his own self-actualization (Frankl, 1975:101 ). Individuals should therefore be made aware of their own potential and what they should be able to accomplish (Frankl, 1975:95). Goleman stated that not all people will develop or reach their full potential and not all people are emotionally literate. He stated that programmes in emotional development should be presented in order for individuals to become more self-aware, more motivated, less impulsive and to understand others and themselves better (Goleman, 1996:284). Learners should also take note of their values, perceptions, attitudes, temperaments and personalities so that they can develop. Adolescents are neither children nor grown-ups and are in search of their own identities. They should be accompanied by grown-ups to develop their full potential (Garbers, 1983:3). According to Louw (1990:424) adolescents are sensitive to problems, missing elements and disharmony and it is therefore the appropriate time to use developmental programs. In this research project the researcher used a focus group as case study. Eleven adolescents between the ages of ten and fourteen, participated. The program was divided into three main categories, namely intra-personal functioning; interpersonal functioning and change. Under the first part, intra-personal funct;oning, the themes: self-knowledge, self-acceptance, internal dialogue and realistic expectations were discussed. Under the second part, interpersonal functioning, the themes that were discussed were: empathy, trust, respect, understanding, consideration, helpfulness, conflict, self-assertiveness and leadership. The last part dealt with change and life-long self-actualization. Ten sessions of ninety minutes each were held and constructivistic principles were taken into account. A variety of learning activities occurred and selfreflection was done. After the completion of the program, learners were interviewed and learning outcomes were discussed with parents. The research methodology used by the researcher comprised qualitative, explorative and phenomenological descriptive methodology within an educational context. Evaluation was based on learners' workbooks, selfreflection forms, field notes, group participation and posters. According to the evaluated data that was received, the program in affective development for adolescents was successful. A new conceptual framework was developed to facilitate affective development of adolescents.

The problem with which this investigation is concerned is that of the evaluation of the effectiveness of the EPI-C model as a guide to group counseling. The purposes of the study are (1) to determine whether group counseling employing the EPI-C model results in positive gain in self-actualization, and (Z) whether group counseling using the EPI-C model is more effective than a topical discussion group or no treatment at all in producing greater positive change in subject self-actualization. This report concludes that the EPI-C model as a guide to group counseling is effective as a means of increasing reliance on inner support, increasing ascendance levels, emotional stability, and objectivity. The model also produced changes in assessed congruence of the emotional, physical and intellectual self. It demonstrated that the EPI-C model facilitated the growth of individuals on certain dimensions of self -actualization.

The purpose of this study was to determine the degree of self-actualization (SA) as measured by the Personal Orientation Inventory (POI) among various groups of male intercollegiate athletes at the University of the Pacific. The subjects (N = 111) were golf (N = 8), tennis (N = 5), swimming (N = 6), baseball (N = 25), basketball (N = 14), and football (N = 53). The subjects were categorized into three sub-groups: (1) individuals sport members (golf, tennis, swimming) and team sport members (baseball, basketball, football); (2) good players, regular players, and substitutes; and (3) upper-division athletes and lower-division athletes.

As I began this research, and even as a younger person, I thought it was the responsibility of my father to teach me what it is to be a man and how to embrace manhood. However, through the tools of self-study and autoethnography as a research method, it has become apparent that the responsibility falls upon me to seek manhood and to develop a lifelong practice of building good character. In the words of Dr. Leon Wright (1975), “To know God, one must know all about man.” This research seeks to bring clarity to my efforts to find out who I am. It details my journey from boy to artist to man. It works to highlight the interplay between three aspects of identity that make up my sense of self: racial identity, social/emotional identity (manhood) and lastly, my professional identity as an artist. This writing works to establish a personal meaning for manhood gained through self-reflection, personal experience, and formal rites of passage participation. This research initiates as an investigation concerning the members of my family, and my interaction with the men who have had a direct involvement in my life. This is an endeavor to document my path toward gaining/acknowledging purpose while working to acquire the knowledge of myself. I started with confronting my pain, realizing my creativity and artistry, welcoming my personality, to eventually embracing spirituality, all as a quest for knowledge. The knowledge of myself leads to the comprehension of my purpose in life, without which, as David Deida writes, I would be “totally lost, drifting, adapting to events rather than creating events” (2007, p. 37). This document is my inquiry to this acquisition of life purpose. On this quest, I have since modified Dr. Wright’s words to suggest that, “To know God, one must know all about themselves.”

Emerging adulthood has been described as a distinctive stage of life between adolescence and young adulthood, in which the hallmark of development is signified by the achievement of intimacy in romantic relationships. From a family systems perspective, the degree to which parents have resolved their own emotional attachment contributes to the capacity of emerging adults to develop intimacy in romantic relationships without inhibition from fear of closeness. This study empirically examines the relationship between parental emotional attachment and the fear of intimacy of emerging adults by exploring the mediating role of differentiation of self. One of the most important and original contributions of this study is the development and validation of the Parental Emotional Attachment Scale (PEAS) which measures the intensity of parental emotional attachment. This study applies a mixed-methods sequential exploratory design with four samples of emerging adults in Hong Kong. First, interviews (N=24; Mage=23.6; 54% female) are conducted to explore the variations in subjective experiences with family of origin and fear of romantic intimacy. Building on the qualitative data from the interviews, the PEAS is developed through two pilot studies with two separate samples (combined N=551; Mage=20.6; 61% female). The PEAS is validated and then applied in the main study (N=755; Mage=21.8; 55.4% female). An exploratory factor analysis yields four factors with 34 items, including Parental Emotional Fusion, Parental Emotional Separateness, Parental Emotional Over-functioning and Parental Emotional Projection, which explain for 46.81% of the total variance. The four-factor structure is confirmed by using a confirmatory factor analysis. The results indicate substantial correlations between the PEAS and the Chinese version of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, which supports the convergent validity of the PEAS. The results also show that the PEAS has sufficient reliability (Cronbach's alpha= .89) and validity to support its application in the Hong Kong Chinese population. Concurrently, it is found that parental emotional attachment is negatively correlated with the level of differentiation of self, and positively correlated with the fear of intimacy. In addition, differentiation of self significantly mediates the relation between parental emotional attachment and fear of intimacy. Finally, a hierarchical regression analysis reveals that parental emotional over-functioning, emotional cutoff and emotional fusion with family are predictive of the fear of intimacy. The overall findings highlight differentiation of self as an underlying mechanism through which parental emotional attachment affects the level of fear of intimacy of emerging adults. Besides, emerging adults who experience greater parental emotional over-functioning, emotional cutoff and emotional fusion with family show higher levels of fear of intimacy. These findings jointly imply the importance for emerging adults to differentiate from their family of origin by balancing closeness and separateness, bridging emotional distance, reducing emotional cutoff and recognizing their own adaptive patterns in relationships, which serve as a practical framework for the future development of relationship education and counseling of emerging adults in Hong Kong.

This was a three part study designed to evaluate the effectiveness of the Basic Seminar, a five-day personal growth training designed and presented by Lifespring, Inc. The instrument used in this study was the Personal Orientation Inventory (POI) published in 1963 by Everett L. Shostrom and copyrighted by Edits Publishing Co., San Diego, CA. This inventory consists of 150 two-choice comparative value and behavior judgments. Two basic scales measure personal orientation, inner directed support and time competence. Ten subscales measure different conceptually important elements of self-actualizing. The items are scored twice, once for the two basic scales and second for the ten subscales. The human potential movement is a relatively recent phenomenon in contemporary society and Lifespring's Basic Seminar is one of the many personal growth trainings which has developed within this context and is based upon the principles of humanistic psychology. The purpose of the training is to facilitate within the individual self-actualizing processes leading to greater personal fulfillment. The scales in the POI measure those facets of self-actualizing which the Lifespring training is designed to develop and was chosen as the instrument for this study primarily for that reason.

My thesis consists of a novel in stories, each taking place in or around the Brooklyn Art Institute. My characters fall along a spectrum of artistic failure, whether because they have lost touch with both their former successes and their former selves, or because they are unable to reach the upper echelons of the artistic community. The stories themselves are a testament both to failure and to the dreams and desires that lead to it, and ultimately ask the reader whether it is better to lead a life of comfortable contentment or to fail gloriously.

How to be authentic to the self is possibly the main goal of all human efforts. Self-actualization is an urgent and important problem because it is the last stage in shaping a man's personality. In self-actualization, a person becomes more fully developed, more fully mature, indeed, a more complete person by fully actualizing his potentialities. In self actualization, the person lives what he potentially and really is.

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