This research focused on constructing a psychological profile for change interventions by investigating both the interrelationships and overall relationships between work stress (as the independent variable), psychological attachment (job embeddedness and organisational commitment) (as the mediating variables) and attitudes towards change (as the dependent variable). A non-experimental cross-sectional quantitative survey design approach using standardised valid and reliable measuring instruments (Sources of Job Stress Scale, Organisational Commitment Questionnaire, Job Embededdness Questionnaire, Attitudes towards Change Questionnaire) was used on a non-probability purposive sample of employees from one of the largest, fast-moving consumer goods companies in South Africa (N = 350), ranging from administrative to executive level. Bivariate correlations showed a statistically positive inter-relationship between sources of work stress, psychological attachment (job embeddedness and organisational commitment) and attitudes towards change. A canonical correlation analysis indicated a significant overall relationship between the sources of work stress, psychological attachment (job embeddedness and organisational commitment) and attitudes towards change dispositions. Mediation modelling revealed the mediating role of psychological attachment (organisational commitment and job embeddedness) in the sources of work stress and attitudes towards change relationship. Moderated hierarchical regression analyses showed that age and gender significantly moderated the relationship between individuals’ sources of work stress and their attitudes towards change dispositions. Tests for mean differences revealed that significant differences exist between age and sources of work stress, affective and continuance commitment, fit and sacrifice embeddedness. Differences exist between race groups’ affective and continuance commitment. Job security is a concern across all employment levels in the organisation. Individuals at an executive, upper administrative and administrative level revealed significant differences in terms of their continuance commitment. Cognitive and behavioural attitudes towards change did not differ significantly across all employment levels. At a theoretical level, this study developed an understanding of the cognitive, affective, conative and interpersonal behavioural dimensions of the hypothesised psychological profile to manage change. At an empirical level, it developed an empirically tested psychological profile for change interventions in terms of the various behavioural dimensions. At a practical level, organisational change practices in terms of the behavioural dimensions of the psychological profile were recommended. / Psychology / D. Phil. (Psychology)

In this dissertation, the researcher presents the findings of a discourse analytic enquiry on the construction of femininity within a contemporary South African magazine. It is argued that gender is a social construction and that women’s magazines provide a channel through which discourse of femininity reaches women. These discourses in women’s magazines are often narrow and stereotypical in nature which may limit the development of women’s feminine gender identities. A discourse analytic approach was utilised to reveal the different discourses of femininity within a contemporary women’s magazines, Cosmopolitan, as well as to indicate how they may contribute to the construction of femininity. From the magazine, relationship-focused articles were selected, from which three predominant discourses of femininity were identified which includes femininity as heterosexual, nurturing, and managerial. An important finding is that competing discourses of empowerment and traditional femininity were evident. This points to the highly complex ways in which gender, specifically femininity, is constructed in the magazine under study. / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology)

The primary aim of the study was to explore positive experiences of academic employees working in an academic environment with specific reference to an Open Distance Learning (ODL) institution. The study was further envisaged as serving as the foundation for future studies which aim to develop a measuring tool for understanding positive experiences of working in academia. A qualitative approach was used to answer the research question by adopting a case study method that allowed for an in-depth study of understanding positive behaviour. A total of 12 academics were selected purposively to participate in the study. In-depth face-to-face interviews were used to gather information about the positive experiences of working in academia. In line with Seligman‘s (2000) integrated model of happiness, a happy academic was described through the adoption of (sometimes contradictory) metaphoric themes. The main themes identified were: the mother hen role, creating positive spaces, it is not a bed of roses, the just and unjust world and us versus them.In a meta-reflection on the research, contradictions were revealed in the theoretical approach adopted in this study, the literature reviewed, the empirical research and pragmatic considerations. As a result, a deconstruction of understanding positive experiences of working in academia by applying Lekgotla as an indigenous South African model was conducted. Healey‘s (2011) notion of transformative dialogue and Bujo‘s (1998) model of palaver were used as part of the framework within which Lekgotla was contextualised to understand positive experiences of working in academia. In conclusion, as an alternative, higher learning institutions (HLI) could adopt other ways that are different from Western ways of understanding the authentic experiences of diverse people in an African university. This could be done through a process of what Smith (2012) described as ―considering carefully and critically the methodologies and methods of research, the theories that inform them, the questions which they generate and the writing styles they employ‖ (p. 41). She refers to this process as decolonisation. According to her, decolonisation offers an alternative way out of colonialism since it exists as a different, oppositional way of knowing. / Psychology / D. Litt. et Phil. (Consulting Psychology)

Summaries in English and Afrikaans / Practical research has shown that children with learning disabilities often experience psychosocial problems. These problems not only have an influence on the parent-child relationship, but also impact negatively on the psychological development of the child. The objective of this study is to explore these psychosocial problems by investigating the personal experiences of the learning disabled child within his immediate family. The literature study on learning disabilities shows that it is a complex condition that not only manifests in learning problems, but which can also adversely affect the child in totality. The Relation theory, an educational psychological perspective, functions as a theoretical framework for exploration, and is discussed with reference to psychosocial problems of the learning disabled child. In the empirical study, the researcher has primarily employed projection techniques to investigate the child's experiences of himself and his relationships with family members, from his internal frame of reference. From these findings, recommendations are proposed for psychotherapy. / Uit die praktyk blyk dit dat leergestremdheid by kinders dikwels met psigososiale probleme gepaard gaan. Nie alleen beinvloed hlerdie problema die ouer~kindverhouding nie, maar dit het ook 'n negatiewe invloed op die psigiese ontwikkeling van die kind. Die doel van die studie is om die persoonlike belewenisse van die leergestremde kind binne die gesin te verken. Die meratuurstudie wat oor die verskynsel van leergestremdheid gedoen is, het getoon dat dit 'n kompleksa toestand is wat nie aileen met leerprobleme gepaard gaan nie, maar ook die kind in sy totallteit nadelig bei'nvloed. Die Relasieteorie, 'n opvoedkundig-sielkundige perspektief, wat as teoretiese raamwerk vir verkenning dien, is bespreek en waar toepaslik is na die psigososiale problema van die leergestremde kind verwys. In die empiriese ondersoek is hoofsaaklik van projeksietegnieke gebruik gemaak om vanuit die leergestremde kind se interne verwysingsraamwerk sy persepsies en belewenisse ten opsigte van homself en sy verhoud!ngs in die gesin te verken. Na aanleiding hiervan is aanbevelings vir terapeutiese hulpverlening gemaak. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Specialisation in Guidance and Counseling)

Summaries in English and Afrikaans / Practical research has shown that children with learning disabilities often experience psychosocial problems. These problems not only have an influence on the parent-child relationship, but also impact negatively on the psychological development of the child. The objective of this study is to explore these psychosocial problems by investigating the personal experiences of the learning disabled child within his immediate family. The literature study on learning disabilities shows that it is a complex condition that not only manifests in learning problems, but which can also adversely affect the child in totality. The Relation theory, an educational psychological perspective, functions as a theoretical framework for exploration, and is discussed with reference to psychosocial problems of the learning disabled child. In the empirical study, the researcher has primarily employed projection techniques to investigate the child's experiences of himself and his relationships with family members, from his internal frame of reference. From these findings, recommendations are proposed for psychotherapy. / Uit die praktyk blyk dit dat leergestremdheid by kinders dikwels met psigososiale probleme gepaard gaan. Nie alleen beinvloed hlerdie problema die ouer~kindverhouding nie, maar dit het ook 'n negatiewe invloed op die psigiese ontwikkeling van die kind. Die doel van die studie is om die persoonlike belewenisse van die leergestremde kind binne die gesin te verken. Die meratuurstudie wat oor die verskynsel van leergestremdheid gedoen is, het getoon dat dit 'n kompleksa toestand is wat nie aileen met leerprobleme gepaard gaan nie, maar ook die kind in sy totallteit nadelig bei'nvloed. Die Relasieteorie, 'n opvoedkundig-sielkundige perspektief, wat as teoretiese raamwerk vir verkenning dien, is bespreek en waar toepaslik is na die psigososiale problema van die leergestremde kind verwys. In die empiriese ondersoek is hoofsaaklik van projeksietegnieke gebruik gemaak om vanuit die leergestremde kind se interne verwysingsraamwerk sy persepsies en belewenisse ten opsigte van homself en sy verhoud!ngs in die gesin te verken. Na aanleiding hiervan is aanbevelings vir terapeutiese hulpverlening gemaak. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Specialisation in Guidance and Counseling)

Text in English with abstracts in English and isiZulu / This qualitative study set out to discover the lived experiences of South African transgender individuals within the liminal space of having been confirmed for gender affirming surgery, yet who have not completed their surgery. The aim included seeking out how participants’ wellbeing was affected by being within this liminal space. Six participants were recruited in Johannesburg, Pretoria and Cape Town. Thematic analysis was used to derive themes from the transcripts. Themes included coming out; relationships; wellbeing; misgendering/misnaming; support; public and private medical care; and liminality. Recommendations for future studies are included, and recommendations on interventions and support are discussed. / Lolu cwaningo lohlobo lwekhethelo lenzelwe ukuthola noma ukubheka izinselelo zabantu abafuna ukushintsha ubulili babo baseNingizimu Afrika ababhekana nazo uma basohlelweni lokuyohlinzwa ngoDokotela ukuze bakhone ukushintsha ubulili babo. Inhloso yalolu cwaningo ukubheka ngqo kubantu abayihambile lena ndima ukuthi bahlukumezeka kanjani ngesikhathi basohlelweni lokuthi bashintshe ubulili babo. Abantu abayisithupha abazibandakanye nalolu cwaningo batholakale eGoli, ePitoli kanye naseKapa. Kusetshenziswe ucwaningo olubheka indikimba ukuze kutholwe izihloko ezivele embalweni osuselwe enkulumeni eqoshiweyo. Izihloko ezivelayo yilezi, ubudlelwano; impilo; ukubizwa ngobulili ongasibona/ukubizwa ngegama okungasilona elakho; ukwesekwa; usizo lwezibhedlela zikahulumeni nezibhedlela ezizimele; kanye nokuba sesimeni sokushintsha ubulili. Izincomo zocwaningo oluzayo zifakiwe nazo, kuphindwe kwakhulunywa noma kwabhekwa ukuthi kungangenelelwa kanjani ngosizo. / M.A. (Clinical Psychology) / Psychology

The aim of this study was to investigate the young child's experience of intensive sport participation. The study concentrated on the following aspects: The role that adults play in children's sport experience. The reasons for children's sport experience becoming negative. Children's sport experience with special focus on enjoyment, pressure to win, competition anxiety, sportsmanship, crowd behaviour and withdrawal from participation. A comparison between children's sport experience and the perceptions of parents and coaches of those experiences. It was found that children experience aspects such as pressure to win, competition anxiety and crowd behaviour as negative. Another outcome of this study was the finding that children experience their sport participation more negative than parents and coaches think they do. Lastly it was found that children, in spite of having a negative experience of some aspects of sport, still enjoy participating in sport and are not considering withdrawal from it. / Educational Studies / M. Ed (Guidance and Counselling)

Police officers provide emergency services to the public, while being simultaneously exposed to various organisational and social stressors over which they have little or no control. The outcome of this may be that highly committed and loyal police officers become psychologically and physically burned-out. Adversely, others may accept the same conditions and situations as a challenge and live an energetic and proactive life while experiencing a positive affective state (vigour) toward their duties. Officers who are burned-out may fail to meet their goal to protect the public, but eventually may suffer. The general objective of this study was to investigate vigour and burnout as obliquely related outcomes of the stress and coping process in terms of its dynamic relationship with challenges or threats, and the mediating role of personal factors, social resources and coping resources in the police context. The research is a qualitative explication of theoretical concepts and constructs, followed by a quantitative empirical survey design. The survey led to a Structural Equation Model (SEM) fit between empirical data and the Moos (1994) hypothesised stress and coping model. Seven measuring instruments were used to collect data. Job demands, work overload and uncertainty were identified as causes of work stress originating within the work situation. Respondents indicated that family members play a role in social support, although it decreases when stress increases. The SEM procedure revealed that social support and personality has a limited and direct effect on well-being when experiencing a positive affective state (vigour), with coping strategies deleted from the experimental model. Adversely, stress has a direct effect on well-being (and eventually burnout) with no moderating effects by the hypothesised variables. The study proposes a new Police Vigour and Burnout Model (PVBM) as an alignment to the Moos (1994) model. It is recommended that vigour and burnout, as outcomes of the stress and coping process, be included in future studies as obliquely related variables in other spheres of society. An additional proposal is that stress inducing features within the police organisation should be scrutinized and critically addressed to prevent negative psychological affects. / Industrial Psychology / D.Litt. et Phil. (Industrial and Organisational Psyschology)

The purpose of this study was to determine whether there is a relationship between emotional intelligence and leadership among senior leaders in a South African financial services organisation. The sample consisted of 973 participants. A convenience sample was used, as the leaders were part of a strategic organisational initiative and completed measurement instruments as part of this process. All participants completed the Bar-On EQ-i, in order to measure emotional intelligence, whereas the leadership data were obtained from an organisation-specific multi-rater which accessed self-ratings, peer and subordinate ratings as well as manager ratings in terms of leadership behaviours linked to organisational worldviews of leadership effectiveness. The results show that there was a statistically significant relationship between emotional intelligence and leadership among the leaders, but that there was poor predictive strength between these variables. / Industrial & Organisational Psychology / MCom (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)

This study focused on the experiences of professionals in drafting and implementing parenting plans with high-conflict separating and divorcing families in the South African context. The primary aim of the study was to explore the participants’ personal and professional experiences through an in-depth and sensitive inquiry. The data was collected from five participants using face-to-face, semi-structured interviews. The interviews were analysed using thematic analysis. The results of this study indicate that professionals experience various challenges when working with high-conflict separating and divorcing families. The participants also shared their perceptions regarding parenting plans. Further research on the challenges specific to drafting and implementing parenting plans with high-conflict separating and divorcing families in the South African context is recommended / Psychology / M.A. (Clinical Psychology)