Thesis (MEdPsych)--University of Stellenbosch, 2002. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The primary goal with this research project was to investigate the psychosocial development of a group grade 8 boys before adolescence in terms of the four developmental crisis according to Eriksson's' theory. The study proceeded through two phases. A questionnaire investigation with a larger study group (N=221) was done in phase 1, and this (quantitative) data was analysed. Phase 2 comprised a further investigation, which took place 2 years later. Based on the results of the questionnaire investigation, a small group (N=ll) experiencing a potencial low self-consciousness was identified and focus group interviews were conducted with them. The researcher made the assumption that individuals' experiences of the first four stages of Erikson's psychosocial developmental model form the basis for later identity development during adolescence, as well as continuing personality development. Current research indicates that the total scale and two of the sub-scales ('Industry vs Inferiority' and 'Autonomy vs Shame') show sufficient reliability (Alpha-coefficients are greater than 0.70). The distributions of the sub-scales were in all cases skew to the left, which indicate that most of the scores for each sub-scale are closer to the maximum value than the minimum value. A negative measure of skewness is reported. All the sub-scales relate significantly to each other (p < 0.01). Therefore, one can conclude with relative certainty that this scale is valid. Age does not correlate significantly with any of the sub-scales (p > 0.05 in all cases), but a significant correlation was not expected given the small age variance. From the qualitative responses of phase 2 it appeared that the present level of expectations, which learners experience, is not appropriate. They would benefit from more positive feedback on their successes. The responses reflect that feedback is not always constructive, nor given in a positive, non-judgemental spirit. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die primêre doel met hierdie navorsingsprojek is om ondersoek in te stel na psigososiale ontwikkeling voor adolessensie by 'n groep graad 8-seuns in terme van die eerste vier ontwikkelingskrisisse volgens Erikson se teorie. Die ondersoek het in twee fases verloop. In Fase 1 is 'n vraelysondersoek met 'n groter ondersoekgroep (N=221) gedoen, en hierdie (kwantitatiewe) data is verwerk. Fase 2 het twee jaar later uit 'n verdere ondersoek bestaan. vraelysondersoek verkry is, Op grond van die resultate wat uit die is 'n klein ondersoekgroep (N=ll) geïdentifiseer wat 'n lae fokusgroeponderhoude gevoer is. selfbelewing ervaar, met wie Die ondersoeker het van die veronderstelling uitgegaan dat individue se belewing van die eerste vier fases van Erikson se psigososiale ontwikkelingsmodel die basis vorm vir latere identiteitsontwikkeling tydens adolessensie asook vir verdere persoonlikheidsontwikkeling. Die huidige navorsing dui daarop dat die totale skaal en twee van die subskale ('Arbeidsaamheid vs Minderwaardigheid' en 'Outonomie vs Skaamte') oor voldoende betroubaarheid beskik (Alfa-koëffisiënte is groter as 0.70). Die verspreiding van die subskaaltellings is in alle gevalle skeef na links, wat beteken dat die meerderheid tellings vir elke subskaal nader aan die maksimumwaarde as aan die minimumwaarde lê. 'n Negatiewe maatstaf van skeefheid word gerapporteer. AI die subskale hou beduidend met mekaar verband (p < 0.01). Dus kan daar met redelike sekerheid die gevolgtrekking gemaak word dat hierdie skaal geldig is. Ouderdom hou nie beduidend verband met enige van die subskale nie (p > 0.05 in alle gevalle), maar 'n beduidende korrelasie is nie verwag nie as gevolg van die klein ouderdomsvariansie. Vanuit Fase 2 se kwalitatiewe response wil dit voorkom asof die leerders se huidige vlak van uitdagings wat aan hulle gestel word nie toepaslik is nie. Hulle sou kon baat vind by meer positiewe terugvoer ten opsigte van hul suksesse. Terugvoer blyk uit die response nie altyd konstruktief en in 'n positiewe, nie-veroordelende gees te wees nie.

Thesis (MEdPsych)--University of Stellenbosch, 2002. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The primary aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between identity development and personality type preference during the adolescent developmental phase. The Extended Objective Measure of Ego Identity status (EOM-EIS-2) and the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) were used as research instruments. School, gender and language were considered as the demographic variables. Personality type preferences and the demographic variables indicated six significant interactions. The Thinking-Feeling (T-J) scale was related significantly to the gender variable. Sensing-Intuition (S-N), Thinking-Feeling (T-J) and Judging-Perception (J-P) were related significantly to language. Sensing-Intuition (S-N) and Judging-Perception (J-P) have indicated significant interactions with the school variable. Identity status and the demographic variables also indicated significant interactions. Gender was related significantly to the interpersonal moratorium status. The school and language variables interacted with the identity diffusion, foreclosure and moratorium statuses in the ideological and in the interpersonal domains.. Significant interactions were indicated among identity status and two of the dimensions of personality type preference, that is Sensing-Intuition (S-N) and Judgement-Perception (JP). Significant preferences for Intuition (N) in relation to the ideological, as well as the interpersonal foraetosure statuses were indicated. Intuition (N) was also related to the. interpersonal diffusion and moratorium statuses. Preferences for Perception (P) were also related significantly to ideological and interpersonal foreclosure, as well as to interpersonal diffusion and moratorium statuses. Neither Thinking-Feeling (T-J) nor Extroversion- Introversion (E-I) dimensions demonstrated any significant interaction with the identity statuses. Educational implications and recommendations are suggested in terms of the indicated personality types and preferences among adolescents, identity formation, as well as the demographic variables related to personality type preferences and identity formation. Recommendations are also suggested with regard to the relationship between identity status and personality type preferences. The researcher would like to emphasise individual differences and diversity (in terms of identity development and personality type preferences) which link up with an inclusive educational approach. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die hoofdoel van die studie was om die verband tussen identiteitsontwikkeling en persoonlikheidstipevoorkeure tydens die adolessente ontwikkelingsfase te ondersoek. Die volgende twee vraelyste is gebruik: Die Extended Objective Measure of Ego Identity Status (EOM-EIS-2) en die Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). Skool, geslag en taal is oorweeg as demografiese veranderlikes. Persoonlikheidstipevoorkeure het ses beduidende interaksies met die demografiese veranderlikes getoon. Die Denke-Gevoel-skaal het beduidend met geslag verband gehou. Die Sintuiglik-Intuïtiewe (S-N), Denke-Gevoel (T-J) en Beoordeling-Waarneming (J-P) skale is beduidend met taal geassosieer. Die Sintuiglik-Intuïtiewe (S-N) en Beoordeling- Waarneming (J-P) skale het beduidend met skool verband gehou. Identiteitstatus en die demografiese veranderlikes het ook beduidende verbande aangetoon. Geslag het 'n beduidende verband met interpersoonlike moratorium getoon. Skool en taal het elk ses beduidende interaksies met die identiteitsdiffusie-, premature sluiting- en moratoriumstatusse in die ideologiese en interpersoonlike domeine aangedui. Beduidende interaksies is gevind tussen identiteitstatus en twee dimensies van persoonlikheidstipevoorkeure, naamlik die Sintuiglik-Intuïtiewe (S-N) en Beoordeling- Waarneming (J-P) skale. Beduidende voorkeure ten opsigte van die Intuïtiewe (N) funksie in die ideologiese en interpersoonlike premature sluitingstatusse, sowel as in die interpersoonlike diffusie- en moratoriumstatusse is gevind. Beduidende voorkeure ten opsigte van die Waarnemende funksie is ook in die statusse van ideologiese en interpersoonlike premature sluiting, sowel as in interpersoonlike diffusie en moratorium aangedui. Sowel die Ekstroversie-Introversie (E-I) as die Denke-Gevoel (T-J) dimensies het geen beduidende interaksies met identiteitstatusse aangedui nie. Opvoedkundige implikasies en aanbevelings word aangespreek in terme van die aangeduide persoonlikheidstipes en -voorkeure, identiteitsontwikkeling, en die demografiese veranderlikes wat persoonlikheidstipevoorkeure en identiteitsontwikkeling affekteer. Aanbevelings met betrekking tot die aangeduide verband tussen identiteitstatus en persoonlikheidstipevoorkeure word ook gedoen. Die navorsing wil indiwiduele verskille en diversiteit (ten opsigte van identiteitsontwikkeling en persoonlikheidstipevoorkeure) beklemtoon, wat aansluit by 'n inklusiewe opvoedingsbenadering.

published_or_final_version / Social Work / Master / Master of Social Work

published_or_final_version / Social Work / Master / Master of Social Work

published_or_final_version / Social Work / Master / Master of Social Work

Adolescent drug use motivations were examined from the perspective of Erik Erikson's psychosocial theory (1963; 1968) of human development. The study used an existing data base derived from a sample of about 13,000 Arizona students in grades seven through twelve. Two questions were asked. The first examined the students' self-reported perceptions of drug use/nonuse motivations across the four ego-identity stages of Marcia (1966). The second examined drug use motivational perceptions within the four stages. First, approximately 13,000 Young People Survey (Jones, 1986) respondents were classified into the four ego-identity stages for each of two domains, Interpersonal and Ideological (Grotevant & Adams, 1984), according to rules suggested by Adams (1979). A random sample of approximately 200 of these respondents was then selected for the analyses for each of eight categories: Interpersonal achievement, moratorium, foreclosure, and diffusion; and Ideological achievement, moratorium, foreclosure, and diffusion. Subject responses to two survey questions were analyzed for the first research question. One survey question had asked the students why they thought people their age used drugs and alcohol, the second survey question asked students who had not used alcohol why they had not done so. The eight analyses revealed that the reported motivations were significantly different (p < .05) across all four ego-identity stages for both domains. The second research question analyzed responses to the survey question dealing with drug use motivations, and tested whether motivational responses discriminated marijuana users from nonusers within each of the four ego-identity stages. Each analysis produced statistically significant results. For achieved subjects, peers, recreation, and curiosity combined to discriminate marijuana users from nonusers (p < .05). For moratorium subjects, it was peers, recreation, and stress (p < .05). For foreclosed subjects, peers, curiosity, and recreation discriminated between users and nonusers (p < .05); and for diffused subjects, it was peers, boredom, and recreation (p < .05). The study indicates that young people use psychoactive substances for reasons which vary according to their level of ego-identity development (psychosocial maturity). Additionally, the study indicates that adolescent drug use motivations also depend upon their experience with drugs.

Intuitive eating is defined as an adaptive eating process that involves focusing on internal hunger and satiety to guide eating behavior, using those physiological cues rather than emotions to determine when to eat, and choosing what to eat based upon preference and not external rules and expectations. The purpose of this study was to examine intuitive eating within the context of contemporary sociocultural models of eating in 701 early adolescent boys and 769 early adolescent girls. Support was found for the model and suggested that pressures to lose weight or gain muscle, restrictive messages about food from caregivers, and internalization of the thin ideal were related to the early adolescents’ intuitive eating behaviors, suggesting that many of the sociocultural variables that have been found to impact disordered eating are salient for understanding healthy eating behaviors. However, the relations among many of the variables, as well as the model’s ability to explain intuitive eating overall, were stronger in girls than in boys. These findings can be used to help parents and schools begin to teach early adolescents about intuitive eating and how they can resist external pressures that may negatively influence their eating behaviors.

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship of separation-individuation during late adolescence and obstacles to career decision making.

The purpose of this study was to examine the idea that a late adolescent's career exploration activities may be influenced by levels of attachment to and psychological separation from family, family health, and family structure. It was proposed that higher levels of self and environmental exploration would be associated with positive family relationships and adequate levels of psychological separation and attachment. Cognitive and demographic variables were included as control measures. Measures of family health, attachment, separation, family structure, career exploration, career decision making self efficacy, and beliefs in the usefulness of engaging in self and environmental exploration were administered to 304 undergraduates from intact families. Multiple regression analyses were employed to examine the contribution of the independent variables measuring family processes to the variability in the dependent variables of self and environmental exploration, after controlling for the variability associated with the control measures. The demographic variables were age, gender, class standing, and decision status about a major. Results indicated that the best predictors of career exploration in late adolescence were the cognitive variables. Beliefs in the usefulness of self exploration were the best predictor of self exploration, whereas career decision making self efficacy was the best predictor of environmental exploration. Measures of attachment and psychological separation were not substantially related to career exploration. A weak relationship between family structure and self exploration was found, however contrary to theoretical predictions, it suggested that problems in the parent child relationship may facilitate rather than inhibit this career development activity. Findings also suggested a relationship between variables of family processes and career decision making self efficacy. Future research might explore the idea that separation, attachment and family variables influence cognitive beliefs, which in turn effect career development. The demographic variables emerged as minimally important in predicting exploratory behavior. Results were discussed with regard to theory and research in career exploration.

To determine major areas of stress for adolescents, ninety-six sixteen and seventeen year olds were given a questionnaire which listed thirty-two situations which the subjects ranked in degrees of stress. The hypotheses examined the degree of family related and social related stress, the relationship of stress to age and sex, and the correlation between grade average and degree of stress. The first three hypotheses were tested by the t-test for mean differences. The fourth hypothesis used a Spearman rank order correlation coefficient. There was a difference in social stress and family stress, but no significant difference in stress of males and females or sixteen and seventeen year olds, and no significant correlation between grades and stress.