Compassion is one of the fundamental experiences which signify human existence. Person perception is the constructive process with which we form an opinion or judgment of another person. Two experiments (N =277) were conducted in this study. Experiment 1 examined the effects of a mindfulness meditation on compassion in a large sample of young adults. Participants (n =76) were randomly assigned to three groups. Participants in group 1 received the mindfulness meditation, group 2 received an alternate version of the mindfulness meditation (self-focus only), and participants in group 3 were asked to complete an attention task and read a geological text. It was hypothesized that mindfulness meditation is significantly associated with the experience of compassion. Results showed that participants in the experimental group 1 experienced significantly higher levels of compassion compared to participants in the control group 3. The participants in group 2 were not different from experimental group 1 or from control group 3. Gender differences in the effects of meditation on compassion were explored. Different measures yielded conflicting evidence for gender differences in experienced compassion. For the second experiment a Solomon four-group experimental design was employed to examine the possible effects of compassion on person perception. Participants (n = 201) were randomly assigned to 4 groups. The effect of pretesting impression formation on posttest performance was investigated. It was hypothesized that compassion has a significant effect on impression formation. The Stouffer's z -method was used to investigate this effect. Results indicated that participants in the experimental groups after completing a mindfulness meditation rated a target person significantly more favorable, compared to participants in the control groups. Results also indicated that pretest had no significant effect on post-test ratings of the impression formation task. Transcendental applications for the inducement and experience of compassion in psychotherapy and the role of compassion in human society are considered. Limitations of this study are discussed and suggestions for future research are provided.

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Thesis (M. Ed. (Science Education)) -- University of Limpopo, 2020 / Learners’ performance largely depends on the pedagogy used. This study explored the use of Computer Simulations (CS) to teach plants biodiversity to grade eleven learners Mankweng Circuit. A randomised Solomon Four-Group design was used. Sixty-six learners from two schools equipped with computers were randomly assigned to the Experimental Group (EG), and 66 learners from two other schools without computers were the Control Group (CG). A performance pre- and post-test was used to the EG taught using CS and to the CG taught using Chalk-and-Talk Method (CTM). Also, Focus Group Discussion Interviews (FGDI) were conducted with 12 learners: six from each of the EG and the CG to collect information regarding their attitudes towards the methods used to learn biodiversity. The quantitative data were analysed using a T-test and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), while the qualitative data were analysed thematically. The results show that the learners in the EG performed better than those in the CG (T-test; p < 0.05), (ANOVA; p < 0.05). Hypothesis one which states that learners in the EG who were taught using CS will perform better than those in the CG taught using CTM is accepted. Also, hypothesis two, which states that learners’ performance in the pretest will not vary in the EG and the CG is accepted. Also, hypothesis three which states that there will be no statistically significant differences in achievements between boys and girls in the EG is established. Thus, the CS method is a useful tool to enhance learners’ performance. Keywords: Computer simulations, PCK, TPACK, Quasi-experiment, Solomon four group design, Learner’s performance

Optimistiese self-evaluasies oor die vermoë om take uit te voer is belangrik vir sukses in verskeie aspekte van menswees. Wanneer mense sulke self-evaluasies doen en selfdoeltreffendheids-persepsies vorm maak hulle van inligting uit verskeie bronne gebruik. Volgens teorieë wat spesifiek verband hou met self-evaluasie is mense tydens die vorming van sulke persepsies omtrent die self veral afhanklik van inligting bekom deur sosiale vergelyking. Hierteenoor beklemtoon teorieë wat meer met selfdoeltreffendheid verband hou, die belangrikheid van self-verwysende inligting soos gevorm tydens prestasie-ervarings. Die doel met hierdie navorsing is om die ordening van die bronne van inligting, wat tydens die vorming van selfdoeltreffendheids-persepsies gebruik word, te ondersoek. Die resultate sal bydra om belangrike vrae te beantwoord oor die voorbereiding van mense vir die uitvoering van uitdagende take. In 'n eksperiment (N=1 723) wat op 'n Solomon-vier-groep-ontwerp geskoei is, is drie vorme van inligting wat persepsies kan beïnvloed aan drie eksperimentele groepe verskaf terwyl daar vyf kontrolegroepe was. Die effek van die ingrepe is met 'n vraelys gemeet. Die resultate toon dat selfdoeltreffendheidspersepsies meer deur selfverwysende inligting as deur sosiale vergelykings-inligting beïnvloed word. Dit is ook bevind dat die verskaffing van addisionele inligting nie 'n kumulatiewe effek tydens die vorming van selfdoeltreffendheidspersepsies het nie. Die implikasies van die resultate ten opsigte van die praktyk en teoretiese beskouinge is in die laaste instansie bespreek. / Optimistic self-evaluation regarding the ability to cany out tasks is important for success in various fields ofhuman endeavour. When people do such self-evaluations and fmm self-efficacy perceptions, they make use of information from various sources. According to theories related to self-evaluation, people engaged in forming such perceptions about themselves largely depend on information gained through social comparison. However, theories of self-efficacy emphasize the importance of self-referenced information, such as those formed through enactive attainments. The purpose of this research is to examine the collation of sources of information used in forming self-efficacy perceptions. The results will help to answer important questions about preparing people to perform challenging tasks. In an experiment (N=l 723) modelled on the Solomon Four Group Design, three types of information likely to influence perceptions were supplied to three experimental groups, while there were five control groups. The effects of the interventions were measured by means of a questionnaire. Results confirmed that perceptions of self-efficacy are more profoundly influenced by self-referenced information than by social comparisons. It was also found that additional information did not have a cumulative effect dming the forming of self -efficacy perceptions. The implications of the results with respect to practical and theoretical viewpoints are discussed in the final instance. / Psychology / D.Litt. et Phil. (Sielkunde)

Optimistiese self-evaluasies oor die vermoë om take uit te voer is belangrik vir sukses in verskeie aspekte van menswees. Wanneer mense sulke self-evaluasies doen en selfdoeltreffendheids-persepsies vorm maak hulle van inligting uit verskeie bronne gebruik. Volgens teorieë wat spesifiek verband hou met self-evaluasie is mense tydens die vorming van sulke persepsies omtrent die self veral afhanklik van inligting bekom deur sosiale vergelyking. Hierteenoor beklemtoon teorieë wat meer met selfdoeltreffendheid verband hou, die belangrikheid van self-verwysende inligting soos gevorm tydens prestasie-ervarings. Die doel met hierdie navorsing is om die ordening van die bronne van inligting, wat tydens die vorming van selfdoeltreffendheids-persepsies gebruik word, te ondersoek. Die resultate sal bydra om belangrike vrae te beantwoord oor die voorbereiding van mense vir die uitvoering van uitdagende take. In 'n eksperiment (N=1 723) wat op 'n Solomon-vier-groep-ontwerp geskoei is, is drie vorme van inligting wat persepsies kan beïnvloed aan drie eksperimentele groepe verskaf terwyl daar vyf kontrolegroepe was. Die effek van die ingrepe is met 'n vraelys gemeet. Die resultate toon dat selfdoeltreffendheidspersepsies meer deur selfverwysende inligting as deur sosiale vergelykings-inligting beïnvloed word. Dit is ook bevind dat die verskaffing van addisionele inligting nie 'n kumulatiewe effek tydens die vorming van selfdoeltreffendheidspersepsies het nie. Die implikasies van die resultate ten opsigte van die praktyk en teoretiese beskouinge is in die laaste instansie bespreek. / Optimistic self-evaluation regarding the ability to cany out tasks is important for success in various fields ofhuman endeavour. When people do such self-evaluations and fmm self-efficacy perceptions, they make use of information from various sources. According to theories related to self-evaluation, people engaged in forming such perceptions about themselves largely depend on information gained through social comparison. However, theories of self-efficacy emphasize the importance of self-referenced information, such as those formed through enactive attainments. The purpose of this research is to examine the collation of sources of information used in forming self-efficacy perceptions. The results will help to answer important questions about preparing people to perform challenging tasks. In an experiment (N=l 723) modelled on the Solomon Four Group Design, three types of information likely to influence perceptions were supplied to three experimental groups, while there were five control groups. The effects of the interventions were measured by means of a questionnaire. Results confirmed that perceptions of self-efficacy are more profoundly influenced by self-referenced information than by social comparisons. It was also found that additional information did not have a cumulative effect dming the forming of self -efficacy perceptions. The implications of the results with respect to practical and theoretical viewpoints are discussed in the final instance. / Psychology / D.Litt. et Phil. (Sielkunde)

Two modalities of research design's workshops -long and short- were developed to qualify 658 Hispanamerican research workers, whom were divided into 30 groups, and were applyied along ten years. The terminal efficiency of the workshops was measured with a pre-post-test design and the differences were assessed with a t-test -for dependent samples-. The results showed that the values of the post-test were higher -p ≤ 0.001- than the pretest averages. Contrasting the two workshop versions, the average of the long workshop was significantly higher -p ≤ 0.001- than the short one, by means of a multiple pre-post-test design and the t-test for independent samples. Using Solomon four-group design it was feasible to establish that the significant increase of knowledge about research designs was not influenced by the interaction of the pretest and treatment factors and there was not observed any significant difference between both versions. / Se aplicaron dos modalidades de talleres de investigación -corta y larga- para habilitar por espacio de diez años a 658 investigadores hispanoamericanos, divididos en 30 grupos. La eficiencia terminal de los talleres fue medida con un diseño de pre y post-test y las diferencias con una prueba t-Student -para muestras dependientes-. Los resultados mostraron que los valores del post-test eran más elevados -p ≤ 0.001- que los del pretest. Contrastando las dos versiones del taller, el promedio del largo fue significantemente mayor -p ≤ 0.001- que el del corto; esto, bajo la tutela de un diseño múltiple de pre y post-test y la prueba t-Student, pero para muestras independientes. Con el diseño de cuatro grupos de Solomon se estableció que el incremento significativo en el conocimiento sobre diseños de investigación no fue intervenido por los factores tratamiento y pretest -interacción- y no se observaron diferencias significativas entre ambas versiones.