Thesis (M.Psych. Ed.) - University of Queensland, 2006. / Includes bibliography.

Thesis (M. Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 2005.

Thesis (M.A.)--Dept. of Psychology, Concordia University, 1998. / "June 1998." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 66-74). Available also on the Internet.

Thesis (M.A.(Clinical Psychology))-University of Pretoria, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references. Available on the Internet via the World Wide Web.

Thèse (M.Ps.) -- Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, 2004. / "Mémoire présenté comme exigence partielle de la maîtrise en psychologie offerte à l'Université du Québec à Chicoutimi en vertu d'un protocole d'entente avec l'Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières." Comprend des réf. bibliogr. : f. [91]-102. Document électronique également accessible en format PDF.

Thesis (M.A.)--Brock University, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 95-104). Also available online (PDF file) by a subscription to the set or by purchasing the individual file.

Thesis (M.A.)--Brock University, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 95-104).

In this thesis, I use a Darwinian approach to explore the role of sexual-dimorphism in human behaviour across development and into early adulthood, and its impact on adult mating-strategies. In Studies 1-2, I explore the importance of heredity and developmental stability of facial characteristics in light of theories of sexual selection. Using family photos, judgements of faces of parents and offspring revealed that facial sexual-dimorphism is passed on from father to son and mother to daughter, while inheritance of attractiveness is apparent only in daughters. I also examine the stability of facial appearance across development (infancy, childhood, young-adult), and find that sexual-dimorphism remains stable for both sexes, while attractiveness is stable only in females. Feminine characteristics are perceived as attractive in infant faces, and feminine characteristics have been perceived as looking more neotenous. In light of these data, I develop a theory for increased preferences for neoteny in human infants (Chapter 4). In studies 3-4, I examine the developmental milestones, puberty and first sexual intercourse in relationship to adult mate-choice strategies. Women who experience first coitus early prefer increased facial-masculinity in potential mates. In men, both early coitus and early puberty relate to increased preferences for facial-femininity in potential mates. In study 5, I look at attributions of peri-pubertal children (aged 11-12 years) to peer faces manipulated on sexually-dimorphic features. Children's attractiveness judgements show evidence of adult-like preferences, with boys preferring feminine girls' faces and girls preferring feminised boys' faces. Both girls and boys attribute the negative stereotype of bullying to more masculinised boys' faces. Study 6 concerns the relationship between two modalities of sexual-dimorphism, pheromones and facial characteristics. Adults indicate preferences from a continuum of sexually-dimorphic face-shapes, in addition to rating sex-specific pheromones on pleasantness. Individuals who prefer sex-typical facial characteristics in opposite-sex faces also judged the sex-typical pheromone as more pleasant.

This study concerned standardization and refinement of an instrument to measure assertiveness in adolescents, and use of that instrument to compare alternative-school students with each other and with students in a traditional school. Most instruments measuring assertiveness are normed on white adult populations. Of the few designed for adolescents, only the Adolescent Assertiveness Discrimination Test provides a tripartite breakdown of subject responses into aggressive, passive, and assertive responses. The test is unpublished and is in the process of standardization and refinement. Multiple linear regression procedures were used to test the three hypotheses. Each hypothesis was tested four times on different groups (alternative versus traditional school students; dropouts versus disciplinary referrals) and on different instruments (AADT; A Scale). Hypothesis 1, which stated that demographic variables, and their interactions with school group, were related to assertiveness, was not supported. Hypothesis 2, which stated that the demographic variables were related to assertiveness, was not supported. Investigations into which of the demographic variables singly contributed to assertiveness showed that gender was significant. Females scored higher on the AADT and males scored higher on the A Scale. Hypothesis 3, which stated that school group was related to assertiveness, was supported on all comparisons except between dropouts and disciplinary referrals on the A Scale. Traditional school students scored higher on the AADT, and alternative school students scored higher on the A Scale. However, of all groups, dropouts scored highest on the AADT.

Magister Psychologiae - MPsych / Participation in recreational and formal sports can play a vital role in enhancing adolescents' wellbeing. Research indicates that involvement in different forms of recreation and physical activities offer beneficial effects on the physical and mental health status of individuals. Sports participation has also been associated with lowered obesity, multiple risk behaviours, smoking and substance abuse. In South Africa rural and urban areas are increasingly affected by violence and a range of psychosocial problems such as youth crime, substance abuse and alcohol abuse. The aim of this research project was to explore the perceptions of community leaders of the role of sports participation in dealing with psychosocial problems amongst adolescents in a rural area. A qualitative approach was adopted to explore the perceptions of community leaders. Purposeful sampling was used to select participants according to the criteria set by researcher. The data was collected through the process of 10 indepth, semi-structured interviews with Afrikaans speaking community leaders, male and female from the two rural towns in the Cederberg region namely, Lamberts Bay and Clanwilliam. The semi-structured interview schedule consisted of five open-ended questions. A thematic content analysis was used to interpret the information. The study revealed that community leaders perceived sports participation as a protective factor against psychosocial problems within the community. They discussed sports benefits under three broad themes namely, health benefits, societal benefits and emotional benefits. The study further revealed poor financial resources, transport and poor facilities to be the major constraints for sports participation in their area. Future studies which explore the role of sports participation should include more information from a female's perspective, to enrich and understand the benefits of sports participation amongst females in the community. / South Africa