This exploratory-descriptive study, using multiple case studies, investigated the self-esteem, coping and psychology of infertility of a sample of individuals who have received infertility treatment at a privately managed health care unit. Infertility is a complex condition associated with the inability to conceive a child, frequently manifesting itself as a result of various biological factors. A literature review indicated that being on Artificial Reproductive Technology (ART) treatment significantly increases the stress in an individual. In an attempt to gain insight into the way patients undergoing infertility treatment find the strength to complete their treatment cycles, and to endure and overcome the pressures associated therewith, in order to continue their lives – in spite of a negative treatment/pregnancy result, the researcher found it necessary to investigate the self-esteem, coping and the psychology of patients undergoing infertility treatment. An exploratory descriptive research design was used and the participants were chosen by means of a non-probability purposive sampling procedure. The participants were given a package of questionnaires to complete under the supervision of the group facilitator and researcher, prior to, as well as after the intervention. The assessment consisted of a biographical questionnaire and two standardised paper and pencil measures. The participants’ self-esteem was explored using James Battle’s (1981) Culture-Free Self-Esteem Inventory; while the coping resources were explored using Hammer and Marting’s (1988) Coping Resource Inventory (CRI). Although these data were not analysable, due to the small sample size, it was utilised in a qualitative manner to support the findings from the qualitative data. The data were also gathered from the participants via a psychological intervention programme in the format of three focus group sessions. All the qualitative results were analysed, according to Tesch’s model of content analysis. The general finding was that the period of infertility treatment is experienced as both difficult and challenging by individuals, and that there is immense healing in the sharing of one’s narrative with other infertility patients. It also surfaced that selfesteem, especially one’s feelings of worth, is most affected by a diagnosis of infertility, as well as by going through the roller coaster of the emotions associated with the treatment and monthly cycle of infertility. It was evident from the narratives told by the participants that every domain of one’s self-esteem is affected by a diagnosis of infertility, and that the biggest challenge in maintaining a positive selfesteem seemed to be in finding a balance between one’s real self and one’s ideal self. Furthermore, this study found that the challenge related to coping for the participants in this study was to present a coherent life narrative to the ‘world’, despite intense feelings of being misunderstood by others, and being faced with the discourse of infertility, as part of one’s life script. The main coping responses utilized by participants included the re-channelling of one’s focus, using denial, seeking out familial and social support, bargaining with God, and nurturing hope and faith that this journey of infertility is merely just a journey and not a destination, with the destination that of being blessed with a biological child of one’s own.

This study examined the differences between eating disordered and non-eating disordered women on self-deficits, specifically self-esteem, body-image disturbance, and body dissatisfaction. In addition, the existence of a cultural and individual ideal body shape was investigated. It was expected that eating disordered women, compared to non-eating disordered women would exhibit lower self-esteem, higher body dissatisfaction and a greater degree of body overestimation (as measured by the waist). Furthermore, it was expected that eating disordered women would choose a thinner cultural and individual ideal shape than the non-eating disordered women. The subjects were 82 females aged 19 to 40 years. The eating disordered group was recruited from a local support group and subjects met either the DSM-III (1980) criteria for anorexia nervosa, or Russell's (1979) criteria for bulimia nervosa. None of these subjects were hospitalized at the time of testing. Non-eating disordered subjects were nursing students recruited from a local college. The Eating Attitudes Test was administered to these subjects as a screening device to ensure that no subjects were included who had a mild eating disorder. All subjects completed a test package: The Eating Attitudes Test; The Adult Self-Perception Profile; The Eating Disorder Inventory; and a demographic sheet. At a second interview, subjects completed a body-image estimation procedure (Askevold, 1975), the cultural and individual ideal questions (Perceived Body Image Scale, Manley & LePage, 1986), and were weighed and measured for height. A one-way multivariate analysis of variance was computed for measures of self-esteem, body dissatisfaction and body-image disturbance, examining differences between the two groups. Significant differences were found for self-esteem and body dissatisfaction (p < .001), with body-image disturbance approaching significance (p < .06). An investigation of the means revealed that eating.disordered women showed less self-worth, more ineffectiveness and experienced greater body dissatisfaction, than did non-eating disordered women. While body-image disturbance was present in both groups, the eating disordered group showed a slightly greater tendency to overestimate their waist area than did the non-eating disordered group. A Chi square analysis computed for the cultural and individual ideals revealed the eating disordered group chose a significantly thinner cultural ideal shape (p < .05) and individual ideal shape (p < .001) than the non-eating disordered group. Both groups chose a very narrow range of acceptable female shapes to represent the cultural and individual ideal body shapes. Implications for these results and suggestions for future research are discussed. / Education, Faculty of / Educational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education (ECPS), Department of / Graduate

Self-concept stability was tested in three studies to examine the relationship between stability in one's self-concept and the ability to adapt to changes in the social environment. Much of the literature on the topic of self-stability emphasizes the functional benefits of stability and the negative outcomes associated with instability. Dynamical systems theory purports however that stability in a dynamical system is indicative of a loss of complexity that limits the range of the systems behavior. Accordingly, this series of studies tests the idea that a stable self-system may have a more limited range of behaviors than unstable self-systems and this may have implications for adapting to changes in one's social environment. The overarching hypothesis is that compared to those with less stable self-views, those with stable self-views will demonstrate lower levels of flexibility of behavior in response to changing social demands. Study 1 assessed the dynamics of participants' evaluations by asking them to complete a self-descriptive recording and evaluate their self-descriptions using the mouse paradigm procedure. Participants also completed a series of questionnaires assessing personality factors and behavioral and cognitive flexibility. Study 2 expanded on the first study by adding a well-validated measure of self-esteem stability and a social conceptualization of behavioral flexibility. Study 3 tested participants' willingness to demonstrate behavioral flexibility in an actual social situation and examined the effects of stress on the relationship between stability and flexibility. / Results suggest that those with more stable self-concepts demonstrate less flexibility in response to their social environment than those whose self-concepts are less stable and that stress tends to amplify this relationship. Future research is also recommended to achieve a fuller understanding of stability in the self-system and its implications for social functioning. / by Susan L. Wiese. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2010. / Includes bibliography. / Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 2010. Mode of access: World Wide Web.

Superstitious behavior is still a common occurrence in modern society, seemingly impervious to intellectual progress that humans have made throughout history. While the desire to maintain a sense of control over one's environment has been investigated as one of the key motivations behind superstitious behavior, it has yet to be examined within the context of the self-concept. Threats to one's sense of control can also be construed as general threats to one's global sense of self-worth. Consequently, while superstitious behavior may be triggered by control threats, it may also occur as a result of any general threat to self-integrity. Moreover, if superstitious behavior is motivated by the desire to maintain overall self-integrity, then depriving individuals of a chance to engage in superstitious behavior should elicit subsequent attempts to repair self-integrity via alternative means. Three studies were conducted in order to establish this link between self functioning and superstitious behavior. Studies 1a and 1b did not find any evidence that manipulating the self-concept prior to an event designed to evoke superstition would increase the desire to engage in superstitious behavior. Threatening (or boosting) one's self-esteem prior to a game of chance did not affect participant's desire to use a superstitious strategy (aura color). Study 2 provided evidence that superstitious behavior is motivated by a desire to maintain self-integrity by showing that individuals deprived of their aura color prior to a game of chance were more likely to engage in self-affirmation subsequently. It also showed that the impact of depriving individuals of a superstitious strategy is independent of belief in such strategy. / Study 2, however, did not find evidence that chronic self-esteem, self-esteem stability, or an individual's desire for control moderated this effect. Possible reasons for this lack of support for our hypotheses are discussed. / by Ryan M. Moyer. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2010. / Includes bibliography. / Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 2010. Mode of access: World Wide Web.

Depression has been one of the most prevalent psychological disorders. Its relationship with life events is reviewed in light of factors influencing the relationship such as self-esteem, attributional styles, and cognitive complexity. The mechanism of depression and its links with personality disorders are looked at in relation to anxiety. The role of self-awareness in therapy is discussed along with the dynamic of change and the emotion component in psychoanalytic, Adlerian, existential, gestalt, person-centered, and cognitive psychotherapies. In addition, self-awareness is also highlighted in terms of hardiness, openness to experience, and a sense of salvation. A survey was conducted focused on the relationship between stress and well-being. Self-esteem, self-efficacy, rumination, reflection, and religion were examined as possible moderators or mediators of the relation between life events and well-being in predominantly white female college students. Life events were analyzed in terms of perceived stressfulness, objective severity of events, and controllability of events. Well-being was measured as depression, total symptoms, and life satisfaction. Self-esteem was found to buffer the negative impact of life events. Self-efficacy, on the other hand, created a susceptibility to their negative impact. Reflection buffered the negative effect of rumination on life satisfaction. Religion was also found to moderate the relationship between events and well-being. Self-esteem and rumination mediated this relationship. Limitations of the present study and suggestions for future research are discussed. / Graduation date: 2004

Text in English / Staff turnover affects employees, employers and their clients. When counsellors leave a particular employment context, relationships have to be modified or terminated, and in some instances, clients have to start counselling afresh. This study focused on testing whether self-esteem and burnout can be predictors of voluntary turnover. Relating the three variables of self-esteem, employee burnout, and employee turnover intentions among counsellors reveals a dearth in literature and research. This study utilised qualitative and quantitative data. A sample of 200 counsellors received questionnaires to collect quantitative data and 162 questionnaires were analysed. The Intentions-To-Stay Questionnaire by Roodt (2004) measured turnover intention, the Maslach Burnout Inventory (Maslach & Jackson, 1981) measured Burnout and the Rosenberg Self-esteem scale (Rosenberg, 1965) measured self-esteem. Qualitative data collection utilised the focus group interview. 23 participants for one group interview were selected using Convenience sampling. Significant relationship was found between self-esteem and age, gender, marital status, duration of work, academic qualification and job status. Results indicated that the emotional exhaustion subscale has statistically significant relationships with age, academic qualification, marital status and employment status. The depersonalization subscale indicated a statistically significant relationship with age, gender, marital status and employment status. The personal accomplishment subscale indicated statistically significant relationship with gender, academic qualification, marital status, duration of employment and employment status. A statistically significant relationship was found between turnover intention and age, marital status, highest academic qualification of participant and employment status. Further, a statistically significant relationship was found between turnover intention and burnout but not between turnover intention and self-esteem. This analysis confirmed burnout as a predictor variable and self-esteem as not. Study findings revealed three categories of reasons influencing turnover among counsellors; namely diversification reasons, growth and development reasons, and remunerative reasons. Counsellor narratives of burnout revealed three major themes namely: exhaustion, work settings, characteristics, and sources of stress. Workplace and institutional interventions were categorized into two namely developmental and normative. An integrated model of clinical supervision for responding to burnout and turnover intention was presented as part of the discussion. / Psychology / D.Phil. (Psychology)