Thesis (MA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2004. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: According to Hurlock ( in Louw, Gerdes & Meyer, 1985), traditional society has a larger number of prescribed values and rules of behaviour than is the case in modern society. In modern society the onus rests on the individual who is expected to direct his behaviour in accordance with the values of his choice. The individual has to accept responsibility for determining his own values. This may create problems for the adolescent because he will be confronted by a wide range of diverse values without the benefit of guidelines or rules to tell him which of those values should be accepted and which should rather be avoided. Against this background it becomes clear why the internalization of moral values, as they develop, is of utmost importance to the adolescent. In this study an attempt has been made to investigate the relationship between stage of moral development and locus of control within a group of Afrikaans-speaking adolescents. The study has further attempted to determine the influence of intellectual ability on the relationship between stage of moral development and locus of control. Males and females were also compared with respect to moral development and locus of control. The sample comprised 193 white, Afrikaans-speaking grade eleven pupils. Seventy-six were boys and 117 girls. The subjects were selected from three high schools situated in three different towns and/or cities. All the subjects came from complete families in which both biological parents were present. Taylor's Reasons for Action Questionnaire (1978) was used to determine the stage of moral development. This questionnaire is based on Lawrence Kohlberg's six stages of moral development which in itself developed from the cognitive-developmental structural approach to moral development. The Rotter Internal-External Locus of Control Questionnaire was used to measure the level of locus of control. Intelligence test scores, as measured by the New South African Group Test, were obtained from the E119 records at the various schools. The responses to a biographical questionnaire were used to facilitate the demarcation of the sample. The results of the study indicated that on average the sample as a whole, functions on a conventional moral level. A significantly negative correlation (r(193) = -,28; P < ,001) was found between locus of control and level of moral developement. This indicates that within this group of Afrikaans-speaking adolescents an internal locus of control is associated with a higher level of moral development whilst and external locus of control is associated with a lower level of moral development. In this study intelligence had little or no influence on the relationship between level of moral development and locus of control. This supports the view of Kohlberg (1969) that there is a curved line relationship between the level of moral judgement and intellectual ability. Finally it may be said with a 95% degree of certainty, that there is a significant gender difference in respect of the construct of moral development. The girls used in this sample displayed a more developed level of moral development than the boys. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In tradisionele samelewings is daar, volgens Hurlock (aangehaal in Louw, Gerdes & Meyer, 1985), meer waardes en reëls vir gedrag voorgeskryf as in die moderne samelewing. In die moderne samelewing rus die onus op die individu om sy gedrag volgens die waardes van sy keuse in te rig. Hierdie verantwoordelikheid wat op die individu rus om self sy waardes te bepaal, kan vir die adolessent probleme skep aangesien hy deur 'n groot verskeidenheid waardes konfronteer word sonder riglyne of reëls oor watter waardes aanvaar en watter liefs vermy moet word. Teen hierdie agtergrond is dit duidelik waarom die internalisering van morele waardes, soos dit ontwikkel, van uiterste belang is vir die adolessent. Die onderhawige studie poog om die verband tussen die stadium van morele ontwikkeling en lokus van kontrole by 'n groep Afrikaanssprekende adolessente te ondersoek. Verder is probeer om die invloed van intellektuele vermoë op die verband tussen die stadium van morele ontwikkeling en lokus van kontrole te ondersoek. Laastens is die geslagte met mekaar vergelyk ten opsigte van die twee konstrukte, naamlik stadium van morele ontwikkeling en lokus van kontrole. Die ondersoekgroep het bestaan uit 193 blanke Afrikaanssprekende graad 11 leerlinge. Hiervan was 76 seuns en 117 meisies. Die toetslinge was afkomstig uit drie hoërskole wat in drie verskillende dorpe en/of stede geleë is. Die toetslinge het uit volledige gesinne gekom, dit wil sê, gesinne waar beide die biologiese ouers nog teenwoordig was in die huishouding. Die Redes vir Optrede Vraelys van Taylor (1978) is gebruik om die stadium van morele ontwikkeling vas te stel. Hierdie vraelys is gebaseer op Lawrence Kohlberg se ses stadia van morele ontwikkeling wat ontstaan het vanuit die kognitief-ontwikkelende strukturele benadering van morele ontwikkeling. Die Rotter Interne-Eksterne Lokus van Kontrole Vraelys is gebruik om die vlak van lokus van kontrole te bepaal. Verstandtoetstellings, soos gemeet deur die Nuwe Suid- Afrikaanse Groeptoets, is vanaf die E119-vorms by die onderskeie skole verkry. Die response op "n biografiese vraelys is benut ten einde die steekproef effektief at te baken. Die resultate van die ondersoek toon dat die totale steekproef wat gemiddeldes betref, op 'n konvensionele morele vlak redeneer. Daar is "n beduidende negatiewe verband r(193) = -,28; p< ,001) tussen lokus van kontrole en vlak van morele ontwikkeling gevind. Dit dui daarop dat, by hierdie groep Afrikaanssprekende adolessente, "n interne lokus van kontrole saamgaan met "n hoër vlak van morele ontwikkeling en "n eksterne lokus van kontrole met "n laer vlak van morele ontwikkeling saamgaan. In hierdie studie het intellektuele vermoë ook weinig tot geen invloed op die verband tussen vlak van morele ontwikkeling en lokus van kontrole gehad nie. Die bevinding ondersteun Kohlberg (1969) se siening dat die verband tussen vlak van morele oordeel en intellektuele vermoë kromlynig is. Laastens kan daar met 95% sekerheid gesê word dat die geslagte beduidend van mekaar verskil ten opsigte van die konstruk morele ontwikkeling. Dit blyk dat die meisies in hierdie steekproef moreel verder ontwikkel het as die seuns.

The aim of this study is to analyse and describe how resilient adolescent learners in a township school cope with school violence in order to develop and recommend a model to promote resilience in coping with school violence. As basis for this study violence is described and explained in the theoretical framework of the ecosystemic theory, as well as the social learning and cognitive behavioural theories. Based on these theories violence is discussed as a reaction and as an action that occurs through reciprocal interaction between the systems and the social environment. Through this interaction adolescent learners could be exposed to individual, family, community and school related risk factors and external barriers, which could have psychological impact, and could lead to a path of violence and self-destruction. Thus, the view of the study is that some learners have the ability and skills to cope with school violence, whilst others are not capable of coping with school violence. However, both groups could learn coping skills. This study wishes to further show that in order for adolescent learners in a township school to cope with school violence certain intrapersonal characteristics and social interpersonal skills of resilience, as well as external protective factors should be present. Therefore, background to research into the theories of resilience and coping based on Salutogenesis is provided. Salutogenesis stresses the importance of how well-being (resilience and coping) is created and maintained. The specific research design selected for this study is a case study and is qualitative, explorative and descriptive in nature. This research design is also emergent and is logically constructed according to qualitative research methods to ensure credibility and validity if the study. The research design further provides clear direction for the way in which the fieldwork is undertaken. A two-pronged approach was followed with the data collection. First, a pilot study was done for refinement of questions and data collection formats as well as for understanding the realities of the fieldwork and research process. Secondly, the data were collected from participants in three different phases, including gathering of background information of the school; obtaining views about school violence, resilience and coping; as well as collecting data from resilient adolescent learners about their violent experiences and how they coped with school violence. The process of analysis that was followed was to describe the protocol for all phases; to identify and describe the themes that emerged from the data of all phases; and to present a clear profile of each resilient adolescent learner. The results were presented within a narrative that should provide the reader with enough information to determine whether the findings of the study could possibly apply to other people or settings. The findings of the study revealed that many adolescent learners in the township school experienced direct incidences of violence either at school or in the community. The most common types of violence reported by the participants, are bullying, fighting, swearing, gangsterism, carrying of weapons, stabbing and gambling. Other contributory factors are racism and substance abuse. Reportedly, the nature of violence changed over the years because of efforts, mainly from the educators, to develop a workable discipline system. It was also found that there were learners at this school who coped with school violence because of intrapersonal characteristics of resilience, social interpersonal skills, and external factors. The intrapersonal characteristics of resilience are an appealing temperament; sense of coherence; internal locus of control; positive self-concept; being future directed, and belief in a Higher Being. The social interpersonal skills are communication skills, cognitive skills, and conflict resolution skills. The external factors are family support and social support. Based on these findings this thesis develops and recommends a systemic-based model to promote resilience in adolescent learners in coping with school violence in a township school. / Prof. R.E Swart

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Arts, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Masters of Arts, (Clinical Psychology) Johannesburg, 1995. / In recent years there has been great interest in studying the energy-restrictive eating disorders within sociocultural contexts. Patterns of change in the incidence and prevalence of these disorders appear to reflect social processes involving gender issues and shared cultural values around the female body, South African society is experiencing rapid sociocultural changes, and this raises questions about disordered eating and values our own society. This study investigated body figure preferences and attitudes and behaviours related to eating and body weight. The sample consisted of 125 White pupils and 61 Black pupils in three high schools in urban and periurban areas of Gauteng, South Africa. The schools represent different socioeconomic Environments. One is a private school and one is state school with partial provincial subsidy in an affluent suburb, and one is a community school which is subsidised mainly by donor funding and serves a periurban Community. Black and White pupils reported similar body ideals and levels of discrepancy between their reported actual body figures and their ideal figures, but Black pupils showed significantly greater tolerance of different body figures. both thin and fat. Despite this increased tolerance. However, their scores on the Eating Disorders Inventory were similar to those of the White pupils and exceeded White pupils on perfectionism and maturity fears measures, Amongst Black pupils in the three schools. EDI scores were similar but State school pupils showed more body dissatisfaction and Community school pupils showed more perfectionism; and maturity fear, This suggests that pupils in more disadvantaged school environments are weight-concerned and could still be at risk of disordered eating, the finding is contrary to expectations that private school pupils would show the most disordered eating and weight concern. EDI scores were closely related to body figure preferences, and especially to real-ideal discrepancy which was shown to be a simple but effective measure, A high-scoring subgroup was isolated and this was found to include 14 Black pupils and 22 White pupils, The findings have implications for preventive efforts and for further research, / GR2017

During the period between 1870 and 1910, the category of adolescence, increasingly defined the transitional stage between childhood and adulthood in the press, law, and in everyday practice. This emerging category included youths between the ages of fourteen and twenty-one as civil and penal codes recognized it as the transition from childhood to adulthood, a label that was picked up in the press, in scientific discourses, and in the courtrooms. Thus, this study addresses the following questions: What were the changes in the notion of childhood from the 1870s to the 1890s, and what did they signify to this period of economic, technological, social, and legal transformations? What were the ramifications of these cultural assumptions of childhood in civil and criminal law? What larger social forces did the rise of adolescence reflect? To what extent did the analysis of emotions in childhood and adolescence play a role in the cultural framework of positivism? This project chronicles the ascendance of the categories regarded culturally and legally as childhood and adolescence. It covers the period during the advent of the anti-colonial insurgency against Spain in Cuba and during the thirty-four–year period (1876-1910) when educators, criminologists, reporters, and parents took on these questions as age-based categories in civil and criminal law; and institutions organized around age became the norm in law and in everyday practice in Mexico. While scholarship has approached the history of childhood and youth from the prism of Mexico City, this project contends that the first war for Cuban independence (1868-1878) had cultural reverberations on the Yucatán peninsula as well as on mainland Mexico. Yucatán witnessed the arrival of educators whose experiences of war in Cuba and exile to Mexico inspired them to turn their attention to the cultivation of honor and trust in children because these emotions were considered fundamental to the proper training of young Mexican citizens. The emotional training of children viewed anger as a negative emotion while the pleasant and desirable emotions of trust and honor were particularly significant in the articulation of a uniquely Mexican emotional standard of child rearing. These ideas, which emerged in the context of Cuba’s anti-colonial insurgency in 1868 against Spain served in the Yucatán peninsula as the intellectual basis for the program of emotional education, which was central to the ideology of positivism. In the disciplines of criminology and pedagogy, the attitude toward children’s emotions degenerated to the generally negative, and the hereditary factors of working-class children informed perceptions of juvenile delinquency in the Mexican press. The press during the 1880s and 1890s generated fears about child criminality, emphasizing the emotions of envy and distrust attributed to working-class children. In the 1890s and the 1900s, newspaper chronicles of youth suicide in the press produced a cultural shift from a notion of suicide based on monomania, which affected middle-class and professional adolescents, to the concept of suicide as an expression of hereditary pathologies and moral weakness attributed to working-class youths. Violent Passions argues that the invention of adolescence as a dangerous stage of development was forged both by fear of juvenile crime and stereotypes in the press as well as by new courtship practices among adolescents. Although parents in Yucatán asserted a strong influence over their daughters’ prolonged courting phases or plazos, increasingly minors challenged parental authority by drawing on notions of autonomy, romantic love, and their own concept of innocent girlhood as well as by making accusations against fathers. The shift from supervised and prolonged courting phases to young couples’ demands for the recognition of emotional concerns in their relationships generated perceptions of juvenile delinquency in Porfirian Yucatán. Violent Passions contends that scholars should regard the emergence of the category of the adolescent as an ongoing cultural conversation concerning the role of emotions in the shaping of childhood and in the life stage of adolescence, which took hold in the early years of the Porfiriato. Although scholarship on youth in modern Mexico has focused on the formative identification of youth within the framework of institutions, namely, juvenile tribunals and universities, this project draws on the analytic construct of the life stage to trace the role of emotions from childhood to adolescence in Mexico. This dissertation considers the contingent demarcations in this period as well as the role of emotions in the meaning and process of attaining adolescence in modern Mexico.

執行功能指代一系列高水平的認知加工過程。情緒狀態被證明對執行功能具有重要影響。然而，以往研究大多關注消極情緒的影響效應。本研究則借助實驗操作（研究1）和行為問卷（研究2），以國內青少年為被試，考察並比較了不同動機強度的積極情緒如何作用執行功能。此外，執行功能、積極情緒作為獨立的兩個變量，均被證明能夠有效預測青少年的問題行為與社交技能，但是以往鮮有研究探討它們對於這些結果變量的共同預測效力，據此，研究2還對這一問題作了分析。 / 研究1包括兩個實驗，分別考察有/無動機傾向（實驗1）與高/低動機強度的積極情緒（實驗2）對執行功能的影響效應。兩個實驗均為隨機對照設計，並用數字字母任務、Go/No-go任務、Flanker任務、線索回憶任務、N-back任務來測量基本的執行功能，包括定勢轉換、抑制能力、工作記憶刷新。實驗1隨機向每個被試呈現具有不同情感色彩的視頻短片，以此誘發：中性狀態、有動機傾向的積極情緒（興趣）、無動機傾向的積極情緒（逗樂、寧靜）以及動機強度不同的兩種消極情緒（緊張、厭惡）。實驗2則誘發中性狀態以及高/低動機強度的興趣。兩個實驗均測量了情緒誘發前後被試的生理喚醒作為控制變量。研究2用問卷評估了執行功能、不同動機強度的積極情緒、外向/內向的問題行為、五種基本的社交技能，並用回歸模型分析變量間的關係。 / 研究1結果顯示在控制了生理喚醒的效應后：（1）興趣仍顯著損害了所有執行任務表現，興趣動機強度越高，損害越傾向於嚴重；（2）相比中性狀態，逗樂與寧靜均未對執行任務表現造成顯著影響；（3）厭惡較之緊張，前者傾向於更嚴重地損害執行任務表現。研究2的重要結果有，在控制了性別、年齡與大五人格特質的效應后：（1）不論動機強度如何，積極情緒越多就傾向於導致執行功能越差；（2）執行功能在積極情緒與結果變量之間發揮中介作用。可見，動機強度調節著情緒對執行功能的影響效應。研究結果的理論及實踐啓發將在論文中作討論。 / Executive functions (EFs),an umbrella term encompassing various high-level cognitive processes, play an important role in child and adolescent development. Extensive evidence indicates that emotions exert great impact on EFs. However, previous studies mostly concerned the effects of negative emotions on EFs. The primary purpose of this study was to add to the literature by examininghow EFs were influenced by positive emotions that varied in motivational intensity among Chinese adolescents, using an experiment (Study 1) and through behavioral means (Study 2). Given that EFs and positive emotions have been separately proven as strong predictors to problem behaviors and social skills, Study 2 also explored their joint effect in predicting these outcome variables. / Study 1 comprised two experiments, which respectively compared the effects of motivating versus non-motivating positive emotions (Experiment 1 ) and of high-versus low-motivating positive emotions (Experiment 2). Both experiments employed the randomized controlled design and utilized the Number-Letter task, the Go/No-go task, the Flanker task, the Cued Recall task, and the N-back task to assess the fundamental EFs, i.e., set shifting, inhibition-related functioning, and working memory updating. Experiment 1 used film clips to induce hilarity, serenity, interest, anxiety, disgust, and neutral state. Whereas hilarity and serenity are non-motivating positive emotions, interest is the typical motivating positive emotion. Disgust has higher motivational intensity than anxiety. In Experiment 2, three emotional states were induced: low-motivating interest, high-motivating interest, and neutral state. Participants’ physiological arousal (i.e., blood pressure and pulse rate) were measured both before and after the emotion induction in two experiments, in order to control the potential influence of physiological arousal on executive performance. / In Study 2, behavioral measures were used to assess motivating/non-motivating positive emotions, EFs, externalizing/internalizing behaviors, and five basic social skills (i.e., social adaptability, social perception, social confidence, social expressiveness, and impression management). Regression analyses were conducted to explore the interrelationship between these constructs. / Results of Study 1 revealed that after controlling for physiological arousal: (1) interest impaired performance in all five executive tasks, with higher motivational intensity tending to aggravate the impairment; (2) hilarity and serenity, as compared with neutral state, did not cause significantly discrepant performance across all five executive tasks; (3) disgust, as compared with anxiety, tended to cause more severely impaired EFs. Results of Study 2 included that after controlling for demographic and personality variables: (1) high degree of motivating/non-motivating positive emotions tended to predict poor EFs; (2) EFs mediated the relationship between motivating/non-motivating positive emotions and behavioral social outcomes. These results confirmed that motivational intensity modulated the influences of emotions on EFs.Emotions high in motivational tendency were more likely to impair EFs. Possible explanation is that such emotions are linked with specific action urges to acquire desired objects, which could impel the individual to focus cognitive resources on the goal-pursuit and thus narrow down the flexibility and complexity of cognitive processing. Practical implications in simultaneously intervening emotionality and EFs to enhance children and adolescents’ behavioral social functioning will be discussed. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Zhou, Ya. / Thesis (Ph.D.) Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2014. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 100-113). / Abstracts also in Chinese; appendixes includes Chinese.

Thesis (M.A.)--Bowling Green State University, 2007. / Document formatted into pages; contains 96 p. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2006. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Background: Prevalence of obesity in US children has increased substantially. The influence of vitamin D intake on body mass index (BMI) is yet to be clearly defined. Results are mixed regarding the relationship of vitamin D deficiency with obesity in children. The objective of this study was to examine the association between vitamin D intake and BMI over a 6 month period in pre-to early adolescent children in Pittsburgh, PA. Methods: Secondary analysis was done on 256 healthy 6-14 year old (54% male) Caucasian and African American (70%) children from Pittsburgh, PA. Participants completed a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) and a Sun Exposure Questionnaire (SEQ) and provided anthropometric measures at 2 time points 6 months apart. Vitamin D intake was compared by BMI status (normal = <85th percentile, overweight = 85th to 95th percentile, obese = >95th percentile) as well as by change in BMI over 6 months. Statistical analysis included descriptive statistics, Kruskal-Wallis analysis of variance, Spearman’s correlation, Chi Square test, and regression analysis (vitamin D intake, gender, race, baseline BMI, total energy intake, sun exposure and sunscreen use). Results: Median reported vitamin D intake was 245.85 IU at baseline and 382.51 IU at 6 month follow up. After subdividing children by BMI, at baseline the obese group reported lowest median intake (188 IU) and at 6 month follow up the normal group reported lowest median intake (374 IU) (P=0.03). Overall relation between vitamin D intake and BMI was significant (P=0.033) but weak (r=-0.015). Regression analysis revealed only baseline BMI status (P=<0.001) as a predictor of 6 month follow up BMI. No relation was observed between change in BMI and vitamin D intake. Conclusion: The results of this study do not support a strong relationship between vitamin D intake and change in BMI status over a 6 month time period.

Thesis (Psy. D.)--Wheaton College Graduate School, 2005. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 61-73).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2000. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves [103]-109). Also available on the Internet.