The focus of this study was the interrelation among the causal attributions, affective reactions, and coping effectiveness of battered women. Fifty female residents of a shelter for battered women were interviewed in depth, and shelter counselors rated each woman on a measure of coping effectiveness. Consistent with predictions, both attributions and emotional state were related to coping. The major deviation from the hypothesized relationship, however, was the finding that self-blame attributions were not related to effective coping while another measure, women's perceptions of the degree of contingency between aspects of themselves and their partners' abusive behavior, was highly related to successful adjustment. As predicted, positive emotional state correlated with effective coping. The hypothesized relation between attributions of blame and affective state was not supported. While subjects' perceptions of avoidability were not related to coping as predicted, it was found that both perceived contingency and a decision not to return to the abusive situation were positively correlated with perceptions of the abuse as unavoidable. Finally, several variables distinguished the group of women who returned from those who did not. Those who returned were characterized by negative affect, a tendency to blame their partners, previous departures from the abusive situation, shorter durations of violence than those who did not return, and were more likely to perceive the abuse as avoidable. The concept of perceived contingency and in particular the difference between this measure and self-blame, is discussed at length because it has implications for both theoretical and applied concerns. The absence of a relation between attributions and affect is also discussed in some detail since an attribution-affect link has received strong support in other psychological research. Problems associated with the definition and measurement of coping are discussed, and finally, the implications of the findings for both attribution theory and research and practice in the area of domestic violence are presented. / Arts, Faculty of / Psychology, Department of / Graduate

This study explores women's homosocial bonds and their impact on a woman's self-esteem. In addition, the relationships between liberated behaviour and homosocial bonds, and between liberated behaviour and self-esteem, are explored. The research examines societal devaluation of women in terms of its effect on a woman's sense of self. Five measurement instruments were used to test the various constructs measured in this study: Homosocial Bonds were measured by the Bonds Between Women Scale (Woolsey, 1986); social support by the Social Provisions Scale (Russel & Cutrona, 1984); sexist attitudes by the Liberated Behavior Questionnaire (Ghaffaradli-Doty & Carlson, 1979); mastery by the Spheres of Control Scale (Paulhus & Christie, 1981); and self-esteem by the Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale (Rosenberg, 1965). One hundred and twelve unmarried, childless women between the ages of 18-26 made up the sample used in this study. All these women were students at a local city college and volunteered their time to complete the questionnaire packet after an announcement was made by the researcher. The first hypothesis, derived from Rawlings and Carter’s (1977) theory, that women who behave in a more liberated manner would have significantly higher scores on measures of homosocial bonds and social support, was supported. The second hypothesis, derived from Bernard's (1976) theory that women who behave in a more liberated manner would have significantly higher scores on the measures of self-esteem and mastery, was also supported. The third hypothesis, drawn from Bernard's (1976) theory that women with stronger homosocial bonds would have significantly higher scores on measures of self-esteem and mastery, was mostly unsupported. The implications of these findings for counselling and suggestions for further research are discussed. / Education, Faculty of / Educational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education (ECPS), Department of / Graduate

M.Cur. (Advanced Psychiatric Nursing Science) / I am a survivor of a multiple sexual traumas, some more brutal than others but the scar is just as deep. This happened in my teens and into my young adulthood years. During those years I perceived a great lack of support and mostly rejection from my mother, and saw the reoccurrence of these sexual traumas as a result of this. But through growth and education I have learned that my mother did the best that she could at that time, given her position and circumstances. I have also been able to acknowledge and accept my responsibilities in my past and, therefore, my future. It was a very difficult process to conquer, for both my mother and I, but it is worth it and it is possible. Today my mother is my best friend and my biggest fear is life without her. Understanding and overcoming this challenge has eased a lot of emotional pain that I had carried with me over the years and so I wished the same could happen for other women that might have perceived rejection from their mothers. To begin the journey, this research study was born. The purpose of my research study was to explore and describe the life stories of young women who have perceived rejection from their mothers, in order to formulate guidelines and recommendations that may help them to deal effectively with their situation. My research study also aims to stimulate interest among other role players within the academic field, communities and the health profession to assist with other meaningful interventions with regard to this challenge. My research study was implemented in two phases. I used a qualitative, explorative, and contextual research design in my approach. The first phase focused on the life stories of young women who have perceived rejection from their mothers. The second phase dealt with the findings gathered from the field work from which the guidelines and recommendations were formulated to assist the participants in coping with the challenge of their life stories. Eight in-depth interviews were conducted, transcribed and analysed by means of Tesch’s method of analysis. Guba’s method of trustworthiness was used together with the services of a well-experienced independent coder, to establish validity and reliability of the data. A signed voluntary consent form was obtained from the participants beforehand for participation in the research study, as well as for the conduction and recording of the interviews. Thematic analysis was used where themes and the central storyline were identified according to the life stories told in each individual interview. The limitations of my research study were also discussed. It was found that more research studies need to be conducted into this phenomenon in order to formulate other effective intervention strategies to help address the challenges that arise from the phenomenon. Recommendations for psychiatric nursing research, psychiatric nursing education, and psychiatric nursing practice were suggested. The knowledge and expertise of a language editor was also used in the research study.

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The present study examined the relationships among body image, psychological health, and happiness in adult women. One hundred and ninety-six women, with an average age of 40 years were surveyed. Within the sample three age groups were established; college age women, middle age women, and elderly women. Each participant completed the Body Esteem Scale (Franzoi & Shields, 1984), the Eating Attitudes Test (Garner & Garfinkel, 1979), the Life Satisfaction Index A (Neugarten, Havigburst, & Tobin, 1961), the Global Motivation Scale (Guay, Blais, Vallerand, & Pelletier, 1999), the Self-Rating Depression Scale (Zung, 1964), and the Life Orientation Test (Scheier & Carver, 1985). The results of Pearson correlations and analysis of variance support the hypothesized relationship between body image and happiness. Results indicate that happiness significantly and positively correlated with the three components of body esteem; sexual attractiveness, weight concern, and physical condition. Contrary to one of the hypotheses of the present study, there were no significant differences between the types of body satisfaction expressed by women of different ages. However, support was found for correlations between body satisfaction and depression, optimism, unhealthy eating attitudes, and motivation for life. The results are discussed in terms of the importance of recognizing body image as a major contributor to overall life happiness.