The literature indicates that: (i) locus of control is a multi-factorial construct; and (ii) psychological maladjustment is associated with a generalised perception that reinforcements are not personally controlled. Little is known regarding the importance of the identified factors to psychopathology. The relationship between locus of control and adjustment is empirically well established but void of theoretical basis. The present study proposes a bridge between locus of control and Seligman's theory of learned helplessness . Forty hospitalised psychiatric patients (diagnosed schizophrenic) and forty persons chosen randomly from a voter's roll ("normals") were administered tests of locus of control; namely, the Internal-External scale (Rotter, 1966). The Internal,Powerful Others and Chance Scale (Levenson, 1972) and the Interpersonal Trust Scale (Rotter, 1967). The Psychotic Reaction Profile (Lorr, O'Connor and Stafford, 1960), a behavioural questionnaire, was completed for each patient. The results suggest that a multidimensional analysis does not add substantially to an understanding of the relationship between locus of control and psychological adjustment. It is however arguable that the study casts doubt on the utility of existing measures rather than the dimensions as such. Support was provided for the hypothesis linking locus of control to behavioural symptoms of learned helplessness. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of Natal, Durban, 1980.

No abstract available. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of Durban-Westville, 1980.

The aim of this research is to investigate how men negotiate a masculine identity in different contexts, using Dialogical Self Theory. As a first step, it was important to explore whether or not men do perform their masculinity differently in various contexts. Only once this was done, did the research move into investigating the methods used by men to negotiate a masculine identity based on multiple performances of masculinity. Using a qualitative design, six men, between the ages of 18 and 50, were interviewed. All the participants were either married or in a long-term relationship, and all the participants were employed. This purposeful selection of the participants allowed for comparisons of performances of masculinity at work, with friends and with the spouse/girlfriend. The results revealed that the participants do indeed perform multiple versions of masculinity or take up various masculine “I-positions” in different contexts. The findings also show that men use a variety of strategies to negotiate a sense of masculine identity based on multiple I-positions. Dialogical self theory is employed to understand this phenomenon. / Thesis (M.Soc.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2012.

Endometriosis is a painful and debilitating chronic gynaecological condition experienced by women in their reproductive years. This illness impacts on their fertility rate and on their general quality of life. Current research into the lived experience and perceived quality of life of women living with Endometriosis is lacking. Considering the prevalence of this condition, an understanding of women's lived experiences and the processes from which meaning is generated is essential to assist women and their families in coping with Endometriosis. Illness representation theory provided some insight into the meaning making processes involved in understanding and coping with a chronic illness. A phenomenological study was conducted to explore women with Endometriosis' lived experiences and the pervasiveness of this condition in terms of their perceived quality of life. I argued that dynamic relationships exist between the women's personal, social and medical worlds and that these interactions provide the context for the creation of women's lived experiences of Endometriosis. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2005.

Philosophers have long been interested in ‘the self’ from a theoretical point of view, rather than in the everyday sense suggested by Sherrington. From Plato and Aristotle to Nietzsche and Foucault; from the biologists to the psychologists, and the politicians to the social constructionists; clearly, selfhood has been recognized, emphasized and investigated. But what is not so clear is what this important and ubiquitous ‘self’ really is. Those who have been involved in contemporary discussions about ‘personal identity’ usually fall into one of two broad categories: those who think that being a person is a question of having a certain kind of continuing consciousness; and those who think it is a question of being a certain kind of living creature. In this thesis, I will investigate the considerations for and against both the psychological criterion and the biological criterion of ‘personal identity’. However, neither of these criteria proves to be satisfactory, since they both encounter some serious problems which they seem to have little chance of overcoming. The shortcomings of these ‘identity criteria’ will lead me to look more closely at the logical concept of ‘identity’ – the identity of things in general, as opposed to the identity of persons, specifically. As this investigation progresses, the conclusion that this concept ‘identity’ is quite inappropriate for application to persons begins to look more and more inescapable. This being the case: having given up the ‘personal identity’ idiom, I will be faced with the problem of how to salvage some of our common-sense intuitions about what it means to be a person – to have a self. In this problem, I will allow myself to be guided by Sigmund Freud: a writer to whose expertise, and incredible insight, I can only hope to do adequate justice. Freud remained adamant, throughout his career, that the explanations for most psychological phenomena were firmly rooted in biology. When he was writing (the late 19th and early 20th centuries), Freud and his contemporaries lacked the knowledge and technologies that would have enabled them to spell out the exact mechanisms by which the psychological phenomena he proposed might be realized. But we no longer lack these technologies. Contemporary neuroscience, although it is not sufficiently advanced to investigate all the Freudian concepts relevant to this discussion of selfhood, has made some great steps towards confirming and elaborating on Freud’s insights. We are not psychological selves. We are not biological selves. We are selves that are both psychological and biological. We are, in fact, Freudian selves. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2010.

Using the biopsychosocial model and the Epigenetic principle, this study looked into younger women's experiences of the psychosocial impact of breast cancer at diagnosis, treatment and beyond the breast cancer experience. Case study methodology was employed and five women between the ages of 20 and 40 were interviewed on their experiences using the semi-structured approach to interviewing. The knowledge gained was analysed thematically. Results of the study revealed that breast cancer posed major psychosocial challenges for these young women as they attempted to negotiate the illness experience with the activities developmentally appropriate to their life stage. Developmentally relevant challenges were expressed in the areas of work, childrearing and partner-relationships and it was evident that spirituality and positive social support networks such as friendships and church groups played a significant role in helping individuals cope with the process, and emerge from it with an increased value for life. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2007.

Schizophrenia is a debilitating mental illness which is complex and multifactorial in nature. Currently a full understanding of the exact aetiological and treatment pathways is yet to be understood, with effective treatment of the debilitating and pervasive negative symptoms particularly lacking. However recent advances in neurophysiological and neuropsychological research seem to be converging on theories of the central role of lateralised functional systems. These models implicate right hemispheric hyperactivation in negative symptom patterns, while positive symptoms are thought to be associated with left frontal hypoactivation resulting in compensatory left temporal hyperactivation. Through the use of the Cognitive Neuropsychological case study methodology, this research took an inductive and exploratory approach to a unique case of 41 year old monozygotic twins concordant for schizophrenia and discordant for a right frontal cerebrovascular accident (CVA). From various records the CVA seemingly had a positive effect on the affected-twin's negative symptoms. By means of a selected battery of neuropsychological tests this research focused on patterns of test performance for known functional systems and identified neuropsychological correlates of the CVA and the negative symptom improvement. Statistically significant differences were found between the twins, particularly in the right medial and ventral prefrontal areas. These areas, with their projections to the limbic system and other sub-cortical structures, were highlighted as being important to these differences. From these findings working hypotheses regarding specific lobal structures, relating to existing theories and research in schizophrenia, were posited for future research. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2006.

The primary objective of this research was to initiate exploratory research into the coping styles and defense mechanisms of adults vicariously exposed to violent crime. This research focused on determining the presence, nature and complexity of symptoms in those vicariously exposed to violent crime. Gaining an understanding of the coping styles and defense mechanisms that individuals who are vicariously exposed to violent crime adopt was also a central focus of this study. A psychodynamic theoretical framework was employed. Situating this research within a broader theory of coping was also necessary. Zeidner and Endler's (1996) integrative conceptual framework was used to understand the coping styles that one adopts as being both dispositional and contextual. Semi-structured, open-ended interviews were conducted with seven respondents (Wengraf,2001). Ulin et al.'s (2002) method of qualitative thematic analysis was used to analyze and interpret data. Emotion-focused coping was found to be the prominent form of coping used by the respondents. It appeared that when problem-focused coping fails to alleviate the individual's anxiety, they then engage in emotion focused coping. Two forms of emotion focused coping were identified: adaptive and pathological emotion focused coping. With regards to vicarious trauma symptoms, a variety of five symptoms were evident across the transcripts. It is also necessary to emphasize that respondents experienced variable combinations of symptoms and generally did not experience all of such symptoms. It was concluded that in the presence of the vicarious exposure to violent crime, participants utilized various defense mechanism (such as: splitting, rationalization, displacement, intellectualization and suppression) which inform their coping style and their experience of symptoms of vicarious trauma. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2008.

This study aims to explore the lives and narrative counts of five homeless people in contemporary South Africa: a post-apartheid context characterized by a rapidly emerging globalized consumer culture and an internal tension in the government commitment to social welfare and while simultaneously following less benevolent neoliberal economic models. The primary concern of the study is the ways in which these marginalized individuals talk about themselves, the stories of their lives and represent themselves through narratives. Their lives, identities and stories are constructed from marginal and socially neglected spaces. The study grapples with what makes us human and the human consequences of global capitalism and consumerism. The study explores the connections homelessness and 'home'; and between homelessness and economic agency. Here homeless identities are constructed outside of the socially valued place of the home and defined by their jobless status and by their lack of economic agency. This means that homeless people have to constantly negotiate their socially 'threatened' and 'threatening' identities from the margins of society. The narratives of the participants reveal gendered and economic factors that precipitate the choice of a street existence as well as structural factors that keep homeless people 'the other'. The narratives further reveal contested meanings of home as connoting security and as a space for identity construction but also as the site for risk, exploitation, violence, and abuse, especially against women. The study suggests that homeless people can be thought of as displaced people in search for 'home' and for positive social identities. / Thesis (M.Soc.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2005.

This study reviewed 166 articles related to suicidality in South Africa, published between 1952 and 2003. From these, a table of summarized information was created and then coded. Thereafter, a statistical content analysis was conducted. The results suggested that the field of suicidology requires further specific research into suicidal ideation and murder-suicides. Blacks are under-represented and Indians are over-represented in the publications. The representation of Coloureds in South African suicide research is negligible. Increased research efforts could focus on suicidality (especially suicidal ideation) in relation to masculinity and use male-only samples. There is a need for research to focus on prevention and intervention and to increase the use of qualitative methodologies. These suggestions may prevent the duplication of well-researched areas and refine future research agendas. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2004.