Although a broad range of neuropsychological deficits have been reported to occur in patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome (OSAS), few studies have examined the executive functions in this patient group. The executive functions provide conscious control of the more basic cognitive functions and play an important role in daily living. They include capacities such as concept formation, planning, cognitive flexibility and resistance to interference. This study compared the performance of groups of moderate and severe OSAS patients with a group of unaffected individuals (N=24), on five tests of executive functioning. Two indices of sleep disordered breathing, sleep fragmentation and . hypoxemia, obtained from overnight polysomnography, were respectively used to categorise participants. ID patients with severe OSAS, executive function deficits were evident, while in those with moderate OSAS these abilities appeared largely intact. Further analyses revealed that the observed findings could not be attributed to differences in vigilance. These results suggest a discontinuity in the manifestation of executive function deficits between moderate and severe OSAS patients. There may be a threshold of OSAS severity, which if exceeded, impairments tend to occur. The magnitude of the impairment in patients with severe OSAS may be sufficient to interfere with daily cognitive functioning. Further research is needed both to replicate these findings and to establish the underlying pathogenesis of these deficits. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2001.

The effects of parental alcohol dependence on children have been well documented in the literature. Parental alcohol dependence has been linked with negative developmental outcomes such as low self-esteem, depression, anxiety, difficulties in school and conduct problems in children (Johnson, 2001). However, some studies have indicated that there may be some protective factors in the environments of children of alcohol dependent parents (COAs) which promote positive developmental outcomes for such children (Menees & Sergin, 2000). The current study focused on parental supervision as a protective family factor that is linked to conduct competence in COAs. The participants’ perception of parental supervision was measured using the Parental Monitoring Assessment and their level of conduct competence was measured using the Weinberger Adjustment Inventory. The Weinberger Adjustment Inventory includes four domains of conduct competence: suppression of aggression, consideration of others, impulse control and responsibility. The main hypothesis of the study was that the participants’ perception of parental supervision correlates with their level of conduct competence with regards to the four domains. The sample included twenty adolescent males who were recruited through their fathers’ involvement in an alcohol rehabilitation program. The results indicated that the participants’ perceptions of parental supervision correlate with levels of conduct competence in the domains of consideration of others, there is no correlation between perception of parental supervision and conduct competence in the domain of responsibility, whilst there is a negative correlation between perception of parental supervision and conduct competence in the domains of suppression of aggression and impulse control. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2009.

This study investigated the relationship between masculinity, cultural worldviews, and societal risk perceptions in a sample of school-going boys between the ages of 17 and 18 years old. The main objective was to examine the nature of the relationship between these variables of interest with the purpose of gaining insight into the type of societal risks that are of most concern and those risks that are rejected by males conforming to traditional masculine norms. Furthermore, this study compared the pattern of societal risk perceptions held by males conforming to the traditional masculinity type with the risk perceptions of males adhering to the accommodating and progressive masculinity types. This study also attempted to identify the type of cultural worldviews that were held by individuals adhering to traditional masculine norms and values. One hundred and fifty seven adolescent boys participated in the study and were given two questionnaires and two psychometric scales to complete. The findings of this study showed that males embracing traditional masculine norms and values were more likely to endorse hierarchical and individualist worldviews and to be less concerned about a variety of societal risks and the impact these posed for the South African public. In contrast, participants conforming to progressive masculine norms were more likely to be risk sensitive, showing heightened concern for the negative impact of a number of societal risks on the South African public. In accordance with cultural theory of risk, the risk ideologies upheld by each of the masculinity types were found to be functional in the sense that they supported the core values and agenda of that masculinity type. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2009.

Substance abuse has a severe impact on the South African population. Various organizations, governmental and non-governmental, take on the challenge to assist in the treatment of substance abuse. Several gaps have been identified in dealing with substance abuse in South Africa. One of these gaps includes regular audits of treatment services and prevention programmes. One of the major concerns is that most primary prevention programmes appear to be implemented in the absence of evidence on their effectiveness and are mostly implemented on an ad hoc basis. The respondent organizations appear to display a poor understanding of evaluation. It was evident that there is a need for a systematic review of what works in the context of substance abuse prevention among the South African population as well as the development of an effective regulatory regime regarding primary prevention activities. Evaluation can be an important tool to provide monitoring, as well as a tool to identify strengths and weaknesses in treatment programmes. In light of the above, the South Coast Recovery Centre, a substance abuse treatment centre that operates in the private sector, was approached to evaluate the effectiveness of its treatment programme. The research focused on gaining insight into and exploring the strengths and weakness of the programme based on how patients experienced the programme and how satisfied they were with it. The use of multimethod approach which included positivist and interpretative approaches to evaluation was viewed as an appropriate method to use for the study in facilitating an understanding of the patient’s experience of the programme and how satisfied they were with the intervention they received. The study is both qualitative and quantitative in nature and used questionnaires and focus group interviews as data sources. All participants in the study were inpatients at the South Coast Recovery Centre. Frequency distributions, chi square analysis, as well as a thematic analysis were used to analyze the data of the study. The study concluded that patients were in general satisfied with the treatment programme. The programme provided opportunity for behavior changes and introspective learning. They were satisfied with professionals’ skills and behaviours, 6 types of interventions provided, efficacy and accessibility. Areas that patients were not satisfied with included: the facilitated involvement of relatives, the provision of information, and the large amount of residents in the programme. Recommendations were made with regards to programme improvement. The recommendations included the following: a. A coherent programme with clear links between outcome objectives and programme activities should be created. b. The number of counsellors in the programme should be reconsidered. c. The number of patients that should be allowed in the programme should be reconsidered. d. A platform for counsellors to deal with their personal emotions and counter transference should be created. e. Counsellors’ emotional involvement with patients should be addressed and exposed. f. More structured leisure activities that use interactive learning styles could be implemented in order to facilitate the learning of social skills. g. An awareness of possible comorbid mental disorders should be developed. h. Patients can be more involved with the cost aspect of the programme in order to facilitate more ownership of their treatment process. i. Provision should be made in the programme to allow for more involvement of relatives. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2009.

As youth in South African are affected by HIV/AIDS, risk reduction research has higWighted the needs of young people for information about sex, sexuality and risk. South African research has looked at young people's sources of sex information and their preferred sources. This thesis examines communication about sex with young people in their families as a protective factor in risk resilience and general problem-solving skills. The study explores how young Zulu women between the ages of 14-15 years understand communication about sex in their families, how and with whom sex is talked about, and how the young women understand the cultural 'taboo' on talking about sex in their families. This study employs an interpretive thematic analysis in analysing semi-structured interviews with eight rural district Zulu-speaking young women. The interview schedule drew on themes related to mother-daughter communication about sex from an American study by Brock and Jennings. The girls felt that there was minimal communication about sex within their families, and this reflected negative verbal and non-verbal messages. The girls wished that their biological parents could communicate with them about sexual issues freely and comfortably, as they would like to do with their own children when they grow up. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2007.

Trichotillomania (TTM) is currently classified as an impulse disorder in the DSM-IV, but there is a growing consensus amongst researchers that trichotillomania should be placed on the putative QCD-related disorders spectrum. QCD and TTM have been compared in many fields including neurobiology, phenomenology and epidemiology. Studies of cognition in QCD and TTM typically focus on automatic thoughts and underlying assumptions and there is a paucity of research into enduring cognitive structures, or schemas, associated with the two disorders. This thesis reviews the available evidence regarding the relationship between QCD and TTM. The Young Schema Questionnaire (YSQ) was used to measure 15 maladaptive schemas in 96 QCD patients, 34 TTM patients, and 94 controls. In the comparison between QCD and TTM it was found that depression has a major impact on the profile of schemas in QCD. When controlling for depression a few differences in schema profile were found between QCD and TTM, though the schema enmeshment emerged as significant in both disorders. These findings are discussed in the light of the debate around the classification of trichotillomania in the psychiatric nomenclature. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2003.

This study is intended as a contribution and upliftment to pedagogy in South- African Intermediate Phase Classrooms. The thrust of this dissertation revolves around attempts to unravel, intermediate phase educators’ perceptions and knowledge of co-operative learning, and to ascertain, to what extent co-operative learning enhances learning, in intermediate phase classrooms. Through a process of simple random sampling, three intermediate phase educators were selected as a sample for this research. An observation schedule was used to ascertain whether co-operative learning was being practised in the intermediate phase classrooms. Through my observation and discussion thereafter with the educators, it was clear that co-operative learning was not being used as a teaching strategy in the intermediate phase classrooms. Furthermore, these three educators, indicated to me that they were not knowledgeable on co-operative learning and were not exposed to this pedagogy at all. I presented a workshop on co-operative learning, to these educators. Thereafter, they practised this type of pedagogy in their classrooms for three weeks, after which they were interviewed. This sought to provide an insight into intermediate phase educators’ perceptions and knowledge of cooperative learning, as well as to see the extent to which co-operative learning enhances learning. This dissertation encapsulates the findings of the study conducted with educators, with regards to co-operative learning. Findings of the study, indicated that intermediate phase educators, perceived co-operative learning as a significant pedagogy that will enhance the culture of learning and teaching in the intermediate phase class. Furthermore, they indicated that cooperative learning assists intermediate phase learners to achieve a range of academic, as well as social outcomes. Conclusions and recommendations, emanating from the study, list the significance of the use of co-operative learning in intermediate phase classrooms. According to Johnson and Johnson (1994) “ The ability of all students to learn to work co-operatively with others is the keystone to building and maintaining stable marriages, families, careers and friendships ”. Education is the forefront of any nation. It is therefore incumbent on educationists to ensure that schools promote the culture of teaching and learning, in pedagogical styles, that develops the learner holistically and prepares him for society at large. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2008.

This study explored the ways in which different stakeholders, namely researchers, community members and representatives define and understand ethically problematic scenarios with respect to research. The intention was to understand the tensions within ethical decision-making as a result of competing conceptions of the self, namely, autonomous and relational conceptions of the self. A hypothetical case scenario, mirroring real life experiences, was used to elicit participants’ understandings of ethical dilemmas. Thematic analysis was employed in the analysis of interview data. Results show that all stakeholders understand ethical dilemmas with reference to benefit sharing, communal and individual ownership of knowledge, and different ways of knowing and validating knowledge. Tensions were noted throughout these understandings, especially in relation to individualistic and communal concepts of the self. It is recommended that indigenous epistemologies should be acknowledged as vital components in research into the experiences of local communities in particular. Research should be considered as a joint process whereby research participants and communities engage on an equal basis with researchers. / Thesis (M.Soc.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2009.

Substance use among adolescents in South Africa is a growing concern. While a growing body of research is outlining the ability of parents to influence and moderate the uptake of risk behaviours, limited literature is available in South Africa on the links between parenting practices and substance use. The present study explored adolescents’ perceptions of parenting practices with respect to their substance use behaviours. Eight focus group discussions were conducted with grade 8 and 9 school-going learners from four purposively selected public high schools in the eThekwini region of KwaZulu-Natal. The discussions were informed by constructions of the Integrated Model of Change (I-Change Model) and appropriate literature. Data was analysed thematically. This study provides further evidence that parenting behaviours can influence adolescent behaviour. The findings suggest that specific parenting practices pertaining to parent-child communication, parental support, warmth, and monitoring can have an influence on adolescent alcohol and tobacco use. Negative parenting may lead to disruptive behaviour, vulnerability to peer pressure and subsequent substance use. It is recommended that early intervention and prevention programs for substance use include aspects of parenting practices that influence adolescent substance use. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2008.

The purpose of this research was to examine what the caregivers of raped children experience in the aftermath of child rape disclosure. Nineteen caregivers were drawn from a Treatment Centre, for child rape victims, using purposive sampling. Information was gathered from them by means of focused in-depth interviews that were conducted by a qualified psychologist and the data collected from these interviews were analysed using thematic analysis. According to the findings of this study, caregivers reacted emotionally, physically, and psychologically to rape discovery. What was feared by most caregivers was that their children might have contracted HIV during the rape incident. Most caregivers also complained of the service rendered by the police and considered it to be the worst as compared to that provided by medical staff. When it comes to coping strategies, most caregivers seemed to have been assisted by the Treatment Centre in dealing with rape disclosure. This suggests a need for the development of more such Treatment Centres which are readily accessible by the public. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2008.