The problem with which this investigation is concerned is that of determining the differential impact of an introductory economics course on the liberalism/conservatism of students, as compared to an introductory course in sociology or psychology. In addition, the study seeks to determine whether a significant relationship exists between a course in microeconomics and student conservatism. The source of data is the pre- and posttest class means of the scores on the Rokeach Opinionation Scale, measuring liberalism/conservatism. Chapter Five contains the conclusion that there is a significant difference between postmean scores on liberalism/conservatism of the students in economics and those in sociology or psychology. Also, an introductory course in microeconomics produces significantly different mean gains in student conservatism, as measured by the Opinionation Scale/compared to mean gains in an introductory course in sociology or psychology. A nonhypothesized relationship emerged between teacher attitude and student posttest mean scores on the Opinionation Scale.

No description available.

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between career education and the career maturity of eighth-grade students as measured by the Attitude Scale and the Competence Test of the Career Maturity Inventory. A posttest only experimental design was used for the study. The subjects were selected from a population of eighth-grade students in a suburban school district in north central Texas and randomly assigned to treatment and control groups. The treatment group had a career education class for forty-five minutes each day for eighteen weeks. The control group selected an additional elective. Multiple t tests were used to test the hypotheses of the study. The hypotheses were grouped into the areas of maturity of career attitudes, maturity of career competencies, sex and career maturity, school and career maturity, and teacher and career maturity.

Fear of crime is argued to be a social problem that may lead to restriction of activities, increased security costs, and avoidance behaviors. Findings from research indicate that there are many demographic influences on the fear of crime. Specifically, gender has been found to be one of the most consistent predictors of crime, that is, females significantly fear crime more than males. Additionally, research suggests that a person's fear of crime or perceived risk to crime may increase their engagement in precautionary behaviors, such as carrying a weapon for protection. The current study examined these relationships using data collected from 588 students at the University of Central Florida in the fall of 2006. The results indicated that females reported significantly higher mean scores on the fear scale for all crimes except property crimes, as well as higher mean scores for most crimes on the perceived risk of victimization scale. Females also reported feeling less safe from crime in their neighborhood and at home. Furthermore, females were more likely to engage in precautionary behaviors, but less likely to engage in risky behaviors. Fear of crime was not a significant predictor of the use of precautionary behaviors. However, respondents with greater perceived risk were more likely to use a greater number of precautionary behaviors. Additionally, respondents who had a perceived lack of safety were more likely to use precautionary behaviors and engage in them more often. Risky lifestyle behaviors were not significant predictors of either fear or guardianship activities. Exposure to the media was only shown to increase fear, perceived risk, and perceived lack of safety at the bivariate level. And finally previous victimization was not a significant predictor of fear or perceived risk. Overall, the results were fairly consistent with previous literature. Implications for future research and policy are discussed.

This study extends previous research on safer sexual behavioral practices by exploring the relationship between self-esteem and risky sexual behavioral practices. The Health Belief Model is the theoretical model used in this research. The Health Belief Model has been used to predict preventive health behaviors (Weiss & Lonnquist, 1993). To test the model, a questionnaire was given to undergraduate Introductory Sociology students at a land-grant university. What this research found, was that self-esteem was statistically significantly related to risky behaviors; more specifically, for those sexual behavioral practices which carry the highest risk, such as unprotected anal intercourse and sharing of needles for the injection of drugs. Students with high levels of self-esteem, as well as high levels of knowledge of HIV/AIDS, reported engaging in safer behavioral practices, for the unconventional sexual behaviors than those with low and moderate levels of self-esteem. With respect to those more conventional sexual behavioral practices, such as unprotected vaginal/penile intercourse and unprotected sex with multiple sex partners, those with high self-esteem reported more risky sexual behaviors than those with low and moderate self esteem which was not as hypothesized. Males and females reported similar levels of unconventional risky sexual behavioral practices and conventional risky sexual behavioral practices. The results indicate that self-esteem operates differently in different contexts. An important result of this study is that factors which predict unconventional sexual behavioral practices are not the sa,me as those which predict conventional sexual behavioral practices. Theses differences need to be taken into account by those trying to influence less risky sexual behavioral practices. / Master of Science

One purpose of this study was to identify the social adjustment problems experienced by Nigerian students in land-grant universities in the United States. A second purpose was to predict the severity of these problems with age, sex, marital status, English language proficiency, ownership of transportation, academic status, previous international experience, duration of stay in the United States, and the source of financial support. A questionnaire of 28 items was sent to a sample of 500 Nigerian students in land-grant universities in the United States. Out of these 500, a usable return of 337 (67.4%) was realized. A factor analysis was applied to these 26 items, 8nd six factors were extracted (feelings of discrimination, feelings of belonging, establishing relationships, feelings of adequacy, feelings of loneliness, and absence of home news). The mean, standard deviation, and rank for each item were calculated. In addition regression equations were calculated in studying the relationship between the severity of the problems and students' demographic descriptions. Major findings were: 1. Out of the 28 problems identified in the questionnaire, there were seventeen problems which elicited high concern and eleven areas which elicited low concern. 2. Students with less English language proficiency, with no transportation, with longer duration of stay in the United States, and undergraduates tended to identify discrimination as a greater problem. 3. Those with less English language proficiency, those with no transportation, females, and those that are married or single living without a spouse or intimate friend tended to identify feelings of belonging as a greater problem. 4. Students with less English language proficiency, with no transportation, females, self-supported students, those with longer duration of stay in the United States, and undergraduates tended to identify feelings of adequacy as a greater problem. 5. Students with less English language proficiency, with no transportation, with longer duration of stay in the United States, younger, and self-supported students tended to identify establishing relationships as a greater problem. 6. The younger, undergraduates, females, and married or single students living without a spouse or intimate friend tended to identify feelings of loneliness as a greater problem. 7. The older, self-supported students, undergraduates, and those with longer duration of stay in the United States tended to identify absence of news from home as a greater problem. / Ed. D.

The purpose of this study is to examine hospitality and tourism students' attitudinal process shaping their intentions to work in the sustainable industry. The cognitive-affective-conative-attitude framework is used to examine students' intentions to work in the sustainable industry. This study proposes that intentions to work in the sustainable industry is as a result of students' satisfaction of and affective engagement with programs teaching sustainability courses. Sustainability knowledge, program perceptions and perceived value on sustainability education are identified as the factors impacting satisfaction and affective engagement. Four hundred sixty responses were collected from 14 institutions in the U.S. and Asia. A total of 342 responses were used to test the hypotheses. Factor analysis is used to identify the independent variables of the study, and multiple regression analysis is used to test the hypotheses. The results reveal that students´ satisfaction of programs teaching sustainability courses is as a result of their perceptions the program. Affective engagement with the programs teaching sustainability courses is as a result of their perceptions of the program and perceived value on sustainability education. The findings also provide evidence that affective engagement and program satisfaction are directly associated with intentions to work in the sustainable industry. Finally, the findings provide important implications to ensure sustainability is increasingly integrated into the hospitality and tourism curricula.

Text in Afrikaans / Die studie het ten doel om 'n moontlike verband tussen lokus van kontrole jeens skoolwerk en depressie by die adolessent te identifiseer. Die literatuurstudie ondersoek lokus van kontrole - as aspek van verantwoordelikheid - en depressie, sowel as die ontwikkeling van die adolessent. Uit die literatuurstudie ontstaan die gevoel dat sodanige verband wel bestaan. 'n Gerieflikheidsteekproef - bestaande uit graad 11 leerders - is vir die navorsing gebruik. Die deelnemers vul 'n biografiese vraelys in, sowel as Afrikaanse weergawes van Crandall se Intellectual Achievement Responsibility Questionnaire en die Beck Depression Inventory. Die resultate van die biografiese vraelys, lokus van kontrole vraelys en depressie opname word individueel uiteengesit voordat daar 'n ondersoek gedoen word na moontlike samevallende verskille of korrelasies tussen lokus van kontrole tellings en depressie tellings. weergegee. Gelyktydige voorkoms word ook as persentasies Geen statisties beduidende korrelasies tussen depressie en lokus van kontrole jeens skoolwerk is gevind nie, wat moontlik toegeskryf kan word aan die aard van die steekproef. Verdere navorsing word aanbeveel. / The aim of the study was the identification of a possible relation between locus of control towards schoolwork and depression in adolescence. Locus of control - as an aspect of responsibility - and depression, as well as the development of the adolescent are examined in a literature study. As a result of this the feeling that a relationship between the named variables do exist is expressed. A convencience sample- consisting of grade 11 learners - is used in the research. The participants complete a biographic questionnaire, as well as Afrikaans translations of Crandall's Intellectual Achievement Responsibility Questionnaire and the Beck Depression Inventory. The result of the biographic questionnaire, the responsibility questionnaire and the depression inventory are reported on their own before an investigation is done regarding possible simultaneous differences or correlations between locus of control values and depression values. Percentages are used for the report of simultaneous values. No statistical meaningful differences or correlations were found, which might be ascribed to the nature of the sample. Further research is recommended. / Psychology of Education / M. Ed. (Voorligting)

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Worldwide the stigma attached to psychiatric patients, psychiatric disorders, psychiatrists and the field of Psychiatry is of great concern. The stigmatising perceptions of medical practitioners and medical students towards psychiatric patients have a negative impact on effective treatment, considering the increasing burden psychiatric disorders are placing on communities and health systems. Numerous efforts were attempted and recommendations made for destigmatising medical students' perceptions towards psychiatric patients. It was found that perception usually improved after a clinical rotation in Psychiatry, but the stigmatising perceptions mostly returned a year later. The first clinical exposure to Psychiatry for medical students at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, is during the fourth or fifth year of study. This rotation was revised in 2010 and a service-learning component added. The research question which consequently developed, is: What is the influence of a service-learning approach on destigmatising students' perceptions towards psychiatric patients? The research followed a phenomenological school of thought in an interpretative paradigm with a qualitative-inductive approach. On the last day of a rotation students handed in their written reflections and an in-depth focus group interview was conducted. The focus group interviews were repeated a year later. Students' reflections and the transcribed texts were analysed. This served as the basis for conclusions from which recommendations were made. It was found that students had stigmatising perceptions towards psychiatric patients before their first clinical rotation in Psychiatry. Directly after that students' perceptions were destigmatised to a greater extend. A year later non-stigmatising perceptions of understanding, acceptance, comfortableness, compassion, respect and responsibility were still present, although a few students experienced the limited return of stigmatising perceptions. Students attributed the positive changes to their service-learning experience in combination with the clinical placement at a psychiatric hospital with a friendly atmosphere and where they were exposed to patients not suffering from complex and extreme psychiatric disorders. The non-stigmatising perceptions a year after a clinical rotation in Psychiatry demonstrates the transformative value of service-learning. Service-learning is where meaningful and relevant service is rendered with and in the community, social responsiveness is purposefully emphasised and structured reflections are done to enhance academic learning. As a result of this study medical schools worldwide can take cognisance that a service-learning approach made a significant contribution to the stained destigmatisation of medical students' perceptions towards psychiatric patients. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Stigma teenoor psigiatriese pasiënte, psigiatriese steurings, psigiaters en Psigiatrie as vakgebied is wêreldwyd ʼn groot bron van kommer. Medici en mediese studente se stigmatiserende persep-sies teenoor psigiatriese pasiënte het ʼn negatiewe impak op effektiewe behandeling, veral gesien in die lig van die groterwordende las wat die toename in psigiatriese steurings op gemeenskappe en gesondheidsisteme plaas. Heelwat pogings is aangewend en aanbevelings gemaak om mediese studente se persepsies teenoor psigiatriese pasiënte te destigmatiseer. Daar is bevind dat persepsies gewoonlik verbeter direk na ʼn kliniese rotasie in Psigiatrie, maar dat stigmatiserende persepsies meestal binne ʼn jaar terugkeer. Mediese studente aan die Fakulteit Geneeskunde en Gesondheidswetenskappe, Universiteit Stellenbosch, se eerste kliniese blootstelling aan Psigiatrie is tydens die vierde of vyfde studiejaar. In 2010 is dié rotasie hersien en ʼn diensleerkomponent bygevoeg. Die navorsingsvraag wat hieruit ontwikkel is, is: Wat is die invloed van ʼn diensleerbenadering op die destigmatisering van mediese studente se persepsies teenoor psigiatriese pasiënte? Die navorsing het ʼn fenomenologiese denkrigting gevolg in ʼn interpretatiewe paradigma met ʼn kwalitatief-induktiewe benadering. Studente het skriftelike refleksies op die laaste dag van ʼn rotasie ingehandig en ʼn in-diepte fokusgroeponderhoud is gevoer. ʼn Jaar later is die fokus-groeponderhoude herhaal. ʼn Ontleding van studente se refleksies en die getranskribeerde tekste en gedoen. Dit het gedien het as basis vir die gevolgtrekkings waaruit aanbevelings gemaak is. Daar is gevind dat studente voor hulle eerste kliniese rotasie in Psigiatrie, stigmatiserende persepsies teenoor psigiatriese pasiënte gehad het. Direk daarna was studente se persepsies grotendeels gedestigmatiseer. Na ʼn jaar was nie-stigmatiserende persepsies van begrip, aanvaar-ding, gemaklikheid, deernis, respek en verantwoordelikheid steeds teenwoordig, alhoewel stigma-tiserende persepsies tot ʼn mate by sommige teruggekeer het. Studente het die positiewe verande-ring toegeskryf aan die diensleerervaring in kombinasie met 'n kliniese plasing in die psigiatriese hospitaal waar ʼn vriendelike atmosfeer geheers het en waar daar blootstelling was aan pasiënte wat nie aan komplekse en ekstreme psigiatriese steurings gely het nie. Die nie-stigmatiserende persepsies ʼn jaar na ʼn kliniese rotasie in Psigiatrie toon die transformatiewe waarde van diensleer. Met diensleer word sinvolle en relevante diens met en in die gemeenskap gelewer, doelbewuste klem word op sosiale verantwoordbaarheid gelê en ge-struktureerde refleksie word gedoen om beter akademiese leer te laat plaasvind. Na aanleiding van hierdie studie kan mediese skole wêreldwyd kennis neem dat ʼn diensleer-benadering ʼn betekenisvolle bydrae gelewer het tot die volhoubare destigmatisering van mediese studente se persepsies teenoor psigiatriese pasiënte.

ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The setting for this study was the University of the Western Cape, Faculty of Community and Health Sciences, first year undergraduate students. All students who participated in the compulsory interprofessional programme were from the following disciplines: Occupational Therapy; Physiotherapy; Psychology; Social Work; Natural Medicine; Dietetics; Human Ecology; Sports Sciences and Nursing. The objectives of this study were to measure the attitudes and perceptions of first year students who participated in an undergraduate interprofessional programme. The attitudes and perceptions were further measured in relation to the specific lecturers involved, the age of the students, their gender, race, background as well their specific discipline. This was primarily a quantitative study incorporating two qualitative questions in which 657 students were issued with a questionnaire designed to determine their attitudes and perceptions towards interprofessional education. A sample size of 264 students resulted in 95% confidence intervals with a maximum precision of 5%. The questionnaire was adapted, with permission, from Cameron; Rennie; DiProspero; Langlois & Wagner (2009). MS Excel was used to capture the data and STATISTICA version 9 (StatSoft Inc. (2009) STATISTICA (data analysis software system), www.statsoft.com.) was used to analyze the data from the questionnaires. Descriptive statistics was used to describe the main features of the sample of this study and summary statistics was further used to summarize the findings of this study in order to communicate the bulk of the information as simple as possible. Two open-ended questions were included at the end of the questionnaire and this was used to triangulate the data. The Kruskal-Wallace test was used to measure the results, whereby a p-value of <0.05 indicated statistical significance. Of all the factors used to measure the attitudes and perceptions of students, the following three were significant: Gender; Race and Discipline. No other factors impact on the attitudes and perceptions of students towards interprofessional education. Student attitudes and perceptions towards interprofessional education were found to be very positive. The findings revealed that the most significant factor in the study was the lack of understanding of various disciplines participating in the programme and their understanding of the relevance of the teaching approach (interprofessional) as well as their specific role in the health care team. This clearly illustrated the need to recommend to the co-ordinating unit of the programme that this be defined more clearly for the students and specifically the Sports Sciences students. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die studie het plaasgevind by die Universiteit van die Wes-Kaap, in die Fakulteit van Gemeenskap en Gesondheidswetenskappe, met eerste jaar voorgraadse studente wat die verpligte interprofessionele program doen. Studente sluit in die volgende dissiplines: Arbeidsterapie; Fisioterapie, Sielkunde, Maatskaplike Werk, Natuurlike Medisyne, Dieetkunde, Menslike Ekologie, Sport en Verpleegkunde. Die doelwitte van hierdie studie was om die houdings en persepsies van die eerste jaar studente wat deelgeneem het in 'n voorgraadse interprofessionele program te meet. Houdings en persepsies was gemeet met betrekking tot die ouderdom geslag, ras,agtergrond sowel dissipline van spesifieke studente. Daar was ook gekyk of die betrokke dosente ń invloed het op studente se houdings en persepsies teenoor die program. Die studie was hoofsaaklik kwantitatiewe met n kwalitatiewe komponent. Vraelyse was uitgereik aan 657 studente om hul houdings en persepsies teenoor interprofessionele onderwys te bepaal. 'n Steekproefgrootte van 264 studente het in 95% vertrouensintervalle met 'n maksimum akkuraatheid van 5%. Die vraelys is aangepas, met toestemming, van Cameron, Rennie; DiProspero Langlois & Wagner (2009). MS Excel was gebruik om die data op te vang en Statistica weergawe 9 [StatSoft Inc (2009) STATISTICA (data-analise sagteware stelsel), www.statsoft.com] is gebruik om die data van die vraelyste te analiseer. Beskrywende statistiek is gebruik om te beskryf die belangrikste kenmerke van die steekproef van hierdie studie. Opsommingstatistiek is verder gebruik om op te som die bevindinge van hierdie studie met die doel om die grootste deel van die inligting so eenvoudig as moontlik te kommunikeer. Twee oop vrae is ingesluit aan die einde van die vraelys en dit is gebruik om die data te trianguleer. Die Kruskal-Wallace-toets is gebruik om die resultate, waar 'n p-waarde van <0,05 aangedui word statistiese betekenisvolheid te meet. Van al die faktore wat gebruik was om die houdings en persepsies van studente te meet, was die volgende drie beduidende: geslag, ras en dissipline. Geen ander faktore impakteer op die houdings en persepsies van studente in interprofessionele onderwys. Studente se houdings en persepsies teenoor interprofessionele onderwys was beduidend positief. Die studie het bevind dat daar ń algemene gebrek aan begrip is vir die relevansie van die program. Dit sluit in hoekom die verskillende dissiplines aan die program deelneem as ook wat hulle spesifieke rolle in die gesondheidsorg span is. Die aanbeveling is dus dat die koördinerings eenheid van die program die kursus meer duidelik sal moet definieer om so doende die studente se kennis in terme van relevansie van die interprofessionele program uit te brei met spesifiek verwysing na die Sport studente.