Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / The empathizing-systemizing (E-S) theory states that individuals with autism spectrum conditions (ASC) can be identified by a deficit in empathy (social skills, communication skills, and theory of mind) and a propensity for systemizing (islets of ability, obsessions with systems, and repetitive behavior). This theory has been tested in various contexts, but never with adolescents between the ages of 12 and 16. The EQ-A (Empathizing Quotient for Adolescents) and the SQ-A (Systemizing Quotient for Adolescents) were administered to 47 adolescents between the ages of 12 and 16 who had been diagnosed with ASC and 97 adolescents with no reported physical or mental disorders to discover differences in empathizing and systemizing. To test the specific elements and predictions of the E-S theory, the EQ-A was divided into a set of three subscales derived by conceptually mapping items to factors corresponding to the concepts theoretically underlying the scale. The SQ-A was divided into subscales using factor analysis. It was found that all four subscales resulting from the factor analysis on the SQ-A were associated with obsessions with systems. A weak positive correlation was found between the SQ-A and the EQ-A. Although the EQ-A was able to differentiate significantly between individuals with an ASC and those without, the SQ-A was not. In addition, although the EQ-A and EQ-A subscales scores correlated with similar subscales scores of the GARS-2 (a well-validated existing autism screening test), the SQ-A and its subscales did not. Implications for the E-S Theory are discussed.

This study was undertaken to determine the extent of aggressive behaviour exhibited by secondary school learners. Many factors were considered when investigating the problem of aggressive behaviour. The problem was traced from the theorists' perspectives and factors related to the family, school and community. An extensive literature review showed that the above factors contribute to aggressive behaviour among adolescents. In order to support or reject the findings of the literature study, quantitative (questionnaire) research and qualitative research (interviews) were conducted. The results of the quantitative research concerning learners' aggressive behaviour in secondary schools were analysed and interpreted while at the same time a deeper understanding of aggressive behaviour was revealed through qualitative research. The results of the empirical research indicated that the more negative the family climate, school climate, community climate or influence of friends are, or the more negative the emotional self-concept of the adolescent is, the more aggressive the adolescent is, and vice versa. Based on these findings recommendations for the implementation of prevention programmes were made. / Educational Studies / D. Ed. (Socio-Education)

Online adolescent friendships and social networking among adolescents are current phenomena that have emerged, and exploded, as part of the digital age and the vast development of communication technologies. The primary aim of this study was to gain knowledge and understanding regarding the nature and quality of online friendships and social networking among adolescents. A sequential explanatory mixed method design, was put to use for the purpose of this study. The quantitative data was collected first in the form of a short survey, by utilising a self-developed questionnaire to obtain a general overview of the social network practices and the forming and maintaining of online friendships among adolescents. Twenty five participants took part in the survey. This study was followed by a qualitative study in the form of interviews, to clarify, elaborate and explain the quantitative findings. Five information rich participants were interviewed. The findings of the empirical investigation revealed that adolescents, being part of the Net Generation, base their concept of socialising with friends on digital and communication technology, especially cell phones. They are connected to their friends 24 hours a day. The sense of safety and support they experience through this constant connectedness strengthens their self-esteem, self-confidence and self-worth and contributes to their identity formation. It is therefore recommended that parents and educators should accept that adolescents live in a virtual world and their new way of socialising, needs to be acknowledged. Parents and educators should adjust accordingly, by getting educated in this field themselves. The Net Generation is a generation who focuses on relationships and collaboration through technology and this should be exploited by anybody who has contact or interacts with the adolescent of today. / Psychology of Education / M. Ed. (Guidance and Counselling)

This study was undertaken to determine the extent of aggressive behaviour exhibited by secondary school learners. Many factors were considered when investigating the problem of aggressive behaviour. The problem was traced from the theorists' perspectives and factors related to the family, school and community. An extensive literature review showed that the above factors contribute to aggressive behaviour among adolescents. In order to support or reject the findings of the literature study, quantitative (questionnaire) research and qualitative research (interviews) were conducted. The results of the quantitative research concerning learners' aggressive behaviour in secondary schools were analysed and interpreted while at the same time a deeper understanding of aggressive behaviour was revealed through qualitative research. The results of the empirical research indicated that the more negative the family climate, school climate, community climate or influence of friends are, or the more negative the emotional self-concept of the adolescent is, the more aggressive the adolescent is, and vice versa. Based on these findings recommendations for the implementation of prevention programmes were made. / Educational Studies / D. Ed. (Socio-Education)

L’obésité pédiatrique est un phénomène en expansion croissante, amenant les professionnels de la santé à en parler en termes de phénomène pandémique. Mais au-delà de cette expansion croissante, c’est également l’augmentation de la sévérité de l’obésité chez l'enfant et l'adolescent qui apparaît inquiétante.<p>Or, la présence des déterminants sociaux,énergétiques, génétiques ne suffisent pas toujours pour expliquer son développement et principalement quand il s’agit d’obésité sévère. Dans le cadre de l'obésité sévère, il y a lieu de dépasser les théories centrées sur la compréhension de l’agir alimentaire pour envisager les théories qui considèrent l’implication de l’ensemble du corps dans le développement de l’obésité et ce principalement lorsqu’on s’intéresse à l’adolescent. <p><p>Les objectifs de cette étude visent, face à ces éléments, à établir, dans un premier temps, un profil démographique, médical, familial, psychologique et psychopathologique d’une population d’adolescents souffrant d'obésité sévère. Ces informations ont été recueillies à l’aide de questionnaires structurés et par observation de 164 adolescents satisfaisant aux critères de l’obésité sévère. Un diagnostic pédopsychatrique selon la CFTMEA R 2000 a été posé pour chaque sujet. Nos résultats ont souligné le déterminisme multiple de l’obésité de nos sujets mais également l’importance des comorbidités bio-psycho-sociales.<p>Dans un second temps, à l’aide d’une analyse factorielle, nous avons mis en évidence qu’une plus grande sévérité de l’obésité s’associait à des facteurs d’environnement défavorisant(troubles mentaux dans la famille, carences, maltraitance) et à la présence d'un profil psychopathologique. De plus, ces mêmes modalités étaient associées avec une compliance familiale et individuelle moins importante. <p><p>Dans une dernière partie, nous nous sommes centrés sur les liens qui unissaient ces différents éléments. Pour ce faire, nous avons aux travers d’analyse de cas et à l'aide d'un Rorschach, du Questionnaire de l'Image du Corps de Bruschon-Schweitzer, et d'un dessin de soi, évalué la présence de troubles de l’image du corps chez 10 de nos sujets et leur évolution durant la prise en charge en lien avec la perte de poids. Nos résultats ont mis en évidence la présence de troubles de l’image du corps avec une image de soi incertaine, indifférenciée aux limites diffuses. <p>L’obésité s’inscrirait en tant que garant concret face à une image du corps peu unifiée. Ceci nous permet de considérer que l’obésité s’installe au travers à la fois d’un corps peu investi, peu mobilisable imposant la nécessaire édification de barrière (l’obésité) entre le « dedans fragilisé » et le dehors vécu comme dangereux. Nous pouvons dès lors considérer la difficulté des sujets de se résoudre à une perte de poids qui ne permettrait plus au sujet de recourir à ce type de fonctionnement. <p><p>De ce fait, nous avons conclu qu'il s'agit dans la prise en charge de ces sujets de reconsidérer l’image du corps comme outil thérapeutique vecteur d’amélioration à court et à long terme. / Doctorat en Sciences Psychologiques et de l'éducation / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

Made available in DSpace on 2017-06-01T18:08:53Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 silvana_maria_barros_santos.pdf: 1040372 bytes, checksum: 535cf6f879a0fe744c32c78db0ded9a9 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-10-16 / Nowadays, obesity is characterized as a disease of multiple causes, it´s a serious illness and with high incidence in developed and developing countries. This way, it is possible to consider that obesity can be analyzed by various multifactorial features as genetic, social, and affective. In this sense, this dissertation says some affective aspects in obesity and overweight s problematic in adolescent women, seeking to verify possible failures in affective relation mother and daughter, in the early stages of development of the girl. This study, is based on theoretical conceptions of Winnicott (1983, 2000, 2005, 2006), Levinsky (1995), Barbosa Silva (2005), Bruno (2011) and Cardoso (2008). It was used as methodological procedure the qualitative approach of Oral Life History that privileges the narratives of the subject as knowledge their affective experiences. Thus, they have been recorded interviews with obese adolescents or overweight 13 to 18 years who are part of the screening or are in the nutritional treatment Clinic-School of Nutrition of Biological Sciences and Health College (Cesmac) in Maceió, Alagoas. In this way, the narratives of the interviewed adolescents wove their life story, they are presenting significant data such as the relationship with the mother, the family context, the own act of adolescent and the dealing with conflicts in daily life as important aspects and as possible hypotheses to bring on the onset of obesity and overweight in these adolescent women. Each studied context, reveals singularities mother and daughter relationship and it stands as fundamental to the development and the construction girl s maturing in childhood, and mainly, in youth. / Nos dias de hoje, a obesidade se caracteriza como uma doença de causas múltiplas, sendo uma enfermidade grave e com alta incidência em países desenvolvidos e em desenvolvimento. Dessa maneira, é possível considerar que a obesidade pode ser analisada por vários aspectos multifatoriais como os genéticos, sociais e afetivos. Nesse sentido, esta dissertação aborda alguns aspectos afetivos presentes na problemática da obesidade e sobrepeso em adolescentes mulheres, procurando verificar possíveis falhas na relação afetiva mãe e filha, nos estágios precoces do desenvolvimento da menina. Este estudo está fundamentado em concepções teóricas de Winnicott (1983; 2000; 2005; 2006), Levisky (1995), Barbosa Silva (2005), Bruno (2011) e Cardoso (2008). Foi utilizada como procedimento metodológico a abordagem qualitativa da História Oral de Vida que privilegia as narrativas do sujeito como compreensão de suas vivências afetivas. Desse modo, foram feitas entrevistas gravadas com as adolescentes obesas ou com sobrepeso de 13 a 18 anos que fazem parte da triagem ou estão em tratamento nutricional na Clínica-Escola de Nutrição da Faculdade de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde do Centro Universitário (Cesmac) em Maceió, Alagoas. Diante disso, as narrativas das adolescentes entrevistadas teceram sua história de vida, apresentando dados significativos como a relação com a mãe, o contexto familiar, o próprio ato de adolescer e o lidar com os conflitos existentes no dia a dia como aspectos importantes e como hipóteses possíveis de ocasionar o aparecimento da obesidade e do sobrepeso nessas adolescentes mulheres. Cada contexto estudado, revela singularidades da relação mãe e filha e se destaca como fundamental para o desenvolvimento e a construção do amadurecimento da menina na infância e, principalmente, na adolescência.

Online adolescent friendships and social networking among adolescents are current phenomena that have emerged, and exploded, as part of the digital age and the vast development of communication technologies. The primary aim of this study was to gain knowledge and understanding regarding the nature and quality of online friendships and social networking among adolescents. A sequential explanatory mixed method design, was put to use for the purpose of this study. The quantitative data was collected first in the form of a short survey, by utilising a self-developed questionnaire to obtain a general overview of the social network practices and the forming and maintaining of online friendships among adolescents. Twenty five participants took part in the survey. This study was followed by a qualitative study in the form of interviews, to clarify, elaborate and explain the quantitative findings. Five information rich participants were interviewed. The findings of the empirical investigation revealed that adolescents, being part of the Net Generation, base their concept of socialising with friends on digital and communication technology, especially cell phones. They are connected to their friends 24 hours a day. The sense of safety and support they experience through this constant connectedness strengthens their self-esteem, self-confidence and self-worth and contributes to their identity formation. It is therefore recommended that parents and educators should accept that adolescents live in a virtual world and their new way of socialising, needs to be acknowledged. Parents and educators should adjust accordingly, by getting educated in this field themselves. The Net Generation is a generation who focuses on relationships and collaboration through technology and this should be exploited by anybody who has contact or interacts with the adolescent of today. / Psychology of Education / M. Ed. (Guidance and Counselling)