No abstract available / Social Work / M. Diac. (Play Therapy)

Thesis (MA) -- University of Stellenbosch, 2000. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The main aim of the present study was to explore the nature of pre-school parenting in a low to average socio-economic target suburb in the Goodwood Municipal area. Specific attention was given to the main parenting styles (authoritative, authoritarian or permissive) utilized by the sample of parents of pre-school children included in this research. Attention was also given to 11 specific parenting dimensions included in the parenting styles and to the levels of psychological control utilized by the sample parents included. The relationship between parenting and certain biographical variables, such as culture and gender of the child, as well as with the specific developmental outcome of expressed fears in their pre-school children was also investigated. Data on the expressed fears, with regard to number, as reported by the pre-school children, was obtained in a related study (Keller, in press). Participants in the current study (N=91) included the fathers (n=43) and mothers (n=48) of the pre-school children (N=50) utilized in the related study (Keller, in press). Measures included a Biographical Questionnaire, the Parenting Styles & Dimensions Questionnaire (PSD) and the Psychological Control Scale. The study revealed that the majority of pre-school parents in this low to average socioeconomic status area predominantly utilized an authoritative parenting style, complemented by high levels of responsiveness, warmth and support, and low levels of psychological control. Further exploration revealed that psychological controlling parenting style characteristic of parents in this target area, reflects non-reasoning or punitive parenting in both fathers and mothers, while highly responsive mothers exhibit low levels of psychological control. Consistent with previous South African research, similarities in parenting outweighed the differences (Gerdes, Coetzee & Cronjé, 1996). Firstly, the study revealed a significant positive correlation between paternal and maternal parenting. Secondly, the study revealed that no statistically significant cross-cultural differences exist between parenting utilized by the white and coloured pre-school parents included in this research. Furthermore, besides mothers reporting higher democratic participation in parenting with the pre-school girls than boys, no other cross-gender differences exist between paternal and maternal parenting style, the included dimensions and psychological control. Contrary to previous research linking permissive parenting to internalizing behaviour in pre-school children (Hart et al., 1995), a positive relationship was found between maternal authoritative parenting style and the amount of expressed fears (r=O.35; p<O.05) in pre-school children. To validate these findings, it is necessary to measure other internalizing behaviours in pre-school children as well. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die hoofdoelwit van die huidige studie was om ondersoek in te stel na die aard van ouerskap in "n lae tot middel sosio-ekonomiese teiken-area in die Goodwood Munisipale gebied. Spesifieke aandag is geskenk aan die tipe ouerskapstyl (outoritatief, outoritêr of permissief) wat die meeste benut word deur die steekproef ouers van voorskoolse kinders. Aandag is ook geskenk aan 11 spesifieke ouerskapdimensies wat deur die bogenoemde ouerskapstyle omvat word en ook aan die vlakke van psigologiese beheer wat kenmerkend is van ouerskap deur die steekproef ouers ingesluit in die studie. Die verhouding tussen ouerskap en die biografiese veranderlikes soos kultuur en geslag van die kind en ook die spesifieke ontwikkelingsuitkoms van gerapporteerde vrese deur die voorskoolse kinders van die steekproef ouers, is ook ondersoek. Data van toepassing op die aantal gerapporteerde vrese van die voorskoolse kinders is ingesamel tydens 'n verwante studie (Keller, in druk). Deelnemers aan die huidige studie (N=91) het die vaders (n=43) en moeders (n=48) van die voorskoolse kinders (N=50) wat in die verwante studie geselekteer is, ingesluit (Keller, in druk). Meetinstrumente wat aangewend is tydens data-insameling in die huidige studie het 'n Biografiese vraelys, die Parenting Styles & Dimensions Questionnaire (PSD) en die Psychological Control Scale ingesluit. Die studie het bevind dat die meerderheid voorskoolse ouers in hierdie lae - tot middel klas sosio-ekonomiese area oorwegend 'n outoritatiewe ouerskapstyl benut, wat aangevul word deur hoë vlakke van responsiwiteit, warmte en ondersteuning, en lae vlakke van psigologiese beheer. Verdere ondersoek het aan die lig gebring dat psigologiese beheer deur ouers in hierdie teikenarea gekenmerk word deur nieredenerende of strawwende ouerskap in beide vaders en moeders, terwyl hoogresponsiewe moeders lae vlakke van psigologiese beheer toon. In ooreenstemming met vorige Suid-Afrikaanse navorsing, het ooreenkomste in ouerskap ook in hierdie studie verskille oortref (Gerdes, Coetzee & Cronjé, 1996). Eerstens het die studie' n positiewe korrelasie tussen paterna Ie en maternale ouerskap uitgelig. Tweedens het die studie aan die lig gebring dat daar nie beduidende kruiskulturele verskille tussen ouerskap van die steekproef blanke en gekleurde ouers bestaan nie. Behalwe vir moeders wat meer demokratiese deelname rapporteer tydens ouerskap van die voorskoolse dogters as seuns, is geen ander geslagsverskille ten opsigte van hantering van voorskoolse seuns en dogters gemeld tussen maternale en paterna Ie ouerskapstyl, die ingeslote dimensies en psigologiese beheer nie. In teenstelling met vorige navorsing wat permissiewe ouerskap verbind aan internaliserende gedrag in voorskoolse kinders (Hart et al., 1995), het die huidige studie 'n -positiewe verhouding gevind tussen maternale demokratiese ouerskapstyl en die aantal vrese gerapporteer deur die voorskoolse kinders (r=O.35; p<O.05). Verdere navorsing wat ook ander internaliserende gedrag in voorskoolse kinders meet, is nodig om hierdie bevindinge te valideer.

Thesis (M.A.) -- Stellenbosch University , 2001. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The primary aim of this study was to establish the content and number of the fears expressed by pre-school children in a low to middle class socio-economic area. In South Africa, a similar study has only been undertaken in a high class socio-economic area (Martalas, 1999). A further aim of this study was to establish whether there were differences in the fears expressed by the participants and, if so, whether these differences correlate with specific biographical variables. A predominantly qualitative method of data collection was used in this research. The data was collected by conducting a semi-structured interview with the participants and obtaining drawings of their fears. The sample included 50 pre-school children between the ages of 5 and 7 years attending 3 preschools in a low to middle class socio-economic area. The broad non-verbal intelligence functioning of the participants were measured by the Goodenough-Harris-Draw-a-Man test (Richter, Griesel en Wortley, 1989). The average non-verbal intelligence functioning of the participants was low average according to the DAM norms. The data was analysed quantitatively. The content and number of fears, as reported by the selected group of pre-school children in the low to middle class socio-economic area, were established and grouped into existing categories. Furthermore the relationship between the number of expressed fears, with regard to content and number, and the three biographical variables, gender, socio-economic status and parent report, was established. Accordingly, differences between and correlations with biographical variables regarding race, parental marital positions, sibling structures, education of parents, their working patterns and the fears reported by parents, as well as by the participants were calculated quantitatively. The method of combining a semi-structured interview with participants and drawings of their fears proved to be successful, as none of the participants reported no fears. The results of this research showed that the content of the fears was similar in many ways to that of previous research results. Animal fears, at 57,24 % of all the fears expressed by the participants, comprised by far the largest category of fears. The number of the expressed fears ranged from 1 to 10 per participant, and the average number of fears per participant was 2,9. This figure was lower than the average number of fears found in previous South African research (Martalas, 1999). Consistent with previous research, the current study showed that girls (63,45 %) had reported more fears than boys (36,55 %). In the current study however, this difference was not statistically significant. Some gender differences were statistically significant in that girls reported more fears of wild animals than boys and boys reported more fears in the category "other" fears (for example a fan, a brick, a bomb, an accident and videos) than girls. Although these results differ from South African research by Martalas (1999) research, it is similar to most other research results. Parents reported fewer fears than the participants and they also reported the category "medical", which the participants did not mention. Parents also reported more fears for girls than for the boys. The researcher concludes with some recommendations for further studies. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die primêre doel van die onderhawige studie was om die inhoud en aantal vrese soos uitgedruk deur voorskoolse kinders in 'n lae tot middel sosio-ekonomiese statusgebied te bepaal. So 'n studie is in die verlede slegs in 'n hoë sosio-ekonomiese statusgebied in Suid-Afrika gedoen (Martalas, 1999). 'n Newe-doelstelling van die onderhawige studie was om vas te stelof daar verskille is tussen die vrese soos uitgedruk deur die deelnemers en, indien wel, of hierdie verskille verband hou met sekere biografiese veranderlikes. In die onderhawige navorsing is 'n oorwegend kwalitatiewe metode van datainsameling gebruik. Die data is ingesamel deur gebruik te maak van 'n semigestruktureerde onderhoud met die deelnemers, terwyl hulle terselfdertyd tekeninge gemaak het van dit wat hulle vrees. Die teikengroep was 50 voorskoolse kinders tussen die ouderdomme van 5 en 7 jaar wat drie kleuterskole in 'n lae tot middel sosioekonomiese status gebied bygewoon het. Die deelnemers se benaderde nie-verbale intellektuele funksionering is met behulp van die Goodenough-Harris-Draw-a-Man toets (Richter, Griesel en Wortley, 1989) bepaal. Die deelnemers het In oorwegend laag gemiddelde skaaltelling volgens die DAM norms (Harris, 1963) getoon. Die data is kwantitatief geanaliseer. Die inhoud en aantal vrese, soos deur die geselekteerde groep voorskoolse kinders in 'n lae tot middel sosio-ekonomiese statusgebied gerapporteer, is bepaal. Dit is in samehang met veranderlikes naamlik geslag, sosio-ekonomiese status en ouerrapportering gedoen. Die inhoud en aantal vrese, soos deur die deelnemers gerapporteer, is daarna volgens bestaande kategorieë ingedeel. Vervolgens is verskille tussen, en korrelasies met biografiese veranderlikes, soos geslag, huwelikstatus, sibbestruktuur, opvoeding en werkpatroon van ouers, ouerrapportering van vrese by hul kinders en die vrese wat die deelnemers gerapporteer het, kwantitatief bepaal. http://scholar.sun.ac.za/ IV Die metode om gebruik te maak van 'n kombinasie van die teken van vrese en 'n semigestruktureerde onderhoud met die deelnemers was suksesvol, aangesien daar geen deelnemers was wat nie gerespondeer het nie. Die resultate van die onderhawige navorsing het getoon dat die inhoud van die vrese in baie opsigte ooreengestem het met die van ander navorsingsbevindings. Gerapporteerde vrese vir diere, wat 57,24 % van al die genoemde vrese verteenwoordig het, was by uitstek die grootste kategorie van vrese. Die aantal vrese wat genoem is, het gestrek van 1 tot lOper deelnemer en die gemiddelde aantal vrese per deelnemer was 2,9. Dit was egter minder as by vorige Suid-Afrikaanse navorsing van dieselfde ouderdomsgroep volgens die navorsing van Martalas (1999). In ooreenstemming met die meeste navorsingsresultate, het meisies In die onderhawige studie meer vrese (63,45 %) as 'seuns (36,55 %) gerapporteer, hoewel hierdie verskil nie statisties beduidend was nie. Sommige geslagverskille was statisties beduidend in die sin dat meisies meer vrese vir wilde diere as seuns en seuns meer in die kategorie "ander" vrese, soos byvoorbeeld vir 'n waaier, 'n baksteen, bomme, om omgery te word en videos, as meisies gerapporteer het. Hoewel dit van Martalas (1999) se navorsingsresultate verskil, is dit in ooreenstemming met die meeste ander navorsingsbevindinge. Ouers het minder vrese namens hulle kinders as die deelnemers self gerapporteer en vrese is in die kategorie "medies" gerapporteer wat nie deur die deelnemers self gerapporteer is nie. Ouers het ook meer vrese namens die meisies as namens die seuns gerapporteer. Enkele aanbevelings vir verdere navorsing word ten slotte gemaak.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of cross-age tutoring by high school students on the affective perception of fourth graders in the areas of self-concept, perception of self as a student, perception of self as a social studies student, and perception of self in the school environment. The tutoring was done in social studies--specifically in Arizona history--relating to the culture, history, and environment of the students' own surroundings. A rationale for the study was based on the social learning theory. High school students modeled behavior for the elementary students and reinforced positive learning experiences dealing with their own culture. This experience would enhance the elementary students feelings of self-worth, and improve their self-perception. The literature was reviewed from three aspects: cross-age tutoring, self-concept, and affective perception. Eight elementary classrooms, four experimental and four control, in four schools in the southwest part of Tucson, Arizona were involved in this one study. Nine hypotheses were tested dealing with self-concept and perception of self. Results of the study were assessed through the Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale pre- and post-measures, and the Affective Perception Inventory. An analysis of data was subjected to a two-factor analysis of variance using a hierarchical design. The primary aspect of this design is the assumption that an individual's score is partly influenced by the social unit of which the individual is a member. In all categories the treatment of cross-age tutoring had no effect on the experimental means. The hypotheses did not prove to be significant at the F = .05 level of significance. (A significant difference was found in the direction of the control group's mean score on the post self-concept scale.) It is the finding of this study that there were too many variables, other than the tutoring process, that could not be controlled. A further examination of the results shows that there were significant school within treatment effects, in the perception of self in the school environment, which indicates that the treatment interacted with classroom variables.

An observational study was conducted examining the social and cognitive play of young children with hearing-impairment playing in small groups composed of both hearing and hearing-impaired peers. The questions addressed the effects of the hearing status of the play partner upon the social/cognitive play patterns of children with hearing-impairment, and the relationship between their play patterns and their communicative competence, social competence and speech intelligibility. Forty-eight hearing-impaired subjects ranging in age from 3-6 to 6-1 were observed playing with partners of same and different hearing status during integrated play sessions at 13 school sites. The social play categories included solitary, parallel and group play, while the cognitive play categories included functional, constructive and dramatic play. Results of the study showed that the play patterns of the hearing-impaired children differed significantly for each group of partners. When playing with hearing-impaired partners, subjects engaged in group functional and constructive play more frequently than parallel functional and constructive play, and with equal frequency in parallel dramatic and group dramatic play. When playing with hearing partners, subjects engaged with equal frequency in group and parallel play. When playing with mixed groups of hearing and hearing-impaired partners, subjects engaged in group dramatic play more frequently than parallel dramatic play, and with equal frequency in group functional and constructive play, and parallel functional and constructive play. Communicative competence was negatively correlated to functional play. A positive correlation was found between social competence and constructive play, and between speech intelligibility and dramatic play. These correlations remained significant when age was partialed out. The hearing-impaired subjects spent similar percentages of time in social/cognitive play as those reported for hearing children. The study supports the premise that the play of young hearing-impaired children varies according to the hearing status of the play partner and is neither delayed nor deficient.

No description available.

Background: Despite the increased presence of clinical psychologists in paediatric services, including palliative care teams, there has been little research into their experience of working with children with life-limiting conditions. Existing studies have tended to focus mainly on the experience of medical professionals working in this area. Such studies have found that working with life-limiting conditions and child death has a significant impact on medical professionals, causing stress, burnout and feelings of professional failure. As clinical psychologists have a role in supporting the emotional needs of children, families and staff teams, it is important to explore their experiences, the impact that such work has on them, and any potential personal and professional implications. Aims: After identifying the above gap in the research, this study aimed to explore clinical psychologists‟ experiences of working with children with life-limiting conditions. Method: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven qualified clinical psychologists who were working in hospital settings with children with life-limiting conditions. The transcripts of the interviews were then analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Results: Three superordinate themes emerged from the analysis: „The meeting of two worlds: When psychology and medicine converge‟, „Nobody is immune: Facing the challenges of working of life-limiting conditions‟ and „Balancing the rough with the smooth: Finding a way to manage‟. Implications & conclusion: Participants experienced challenges in having to adapt to a medical world and in facing emotional impacts however, they also reported positive experiences from their work. The study raised many implications for clinical practice including the need to potentially help psychologists to prepare for the possible changes required when practicing in a hospital setting. This could perhaps be incorporated more into clinical training or be provided as in-house training when starting in the post.

Depressive symptomology was examined in this study as a function of conflict and intimate support with parents, friends, and siblings among a non-clinical sample of 223 predominately white sixth-grade early adolescents. Moreover, sixth-graders' depressive symptomology was examined as a function of conflict management self-efficacy and intimate support self-efficacy. The purpose of the present study was twofold: 1) to explore the effects of intimate support and conflict in family and friend relationships on sixth-grade early adolescent depressive symptomology, 2) to determine whether poor conflict management skills self-efficacy and poor intimate support self-efficacy are linked with depressive symptomology in sixth-grade early adolescents. Friend relationship qualities had little impact on depression in sixth-graders. However, the presence of conflict and deficits in family intimate support, especially from parents, was associated with increased depression. Increased levels of depression also corresponded with lower ratings of conflict management self-efficacy and intimate support self-efficacy. Moreover, relationship difficulties combined with self-efficacy deficits to affect depression.

M.A. (Psychology) / The purpose of this study was to determine whether an improvement in the self-efficacy for social situations in children with minimal brain-dysfunction would lead to an improvement in their social behavior. For this purpose a scale was constructed and validated for the assessment of self-efficacy in social situations. Fifty children with minimal brain-dysfunction, selected according to certain criteria, were then divided into an experimental and control group ...

A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Arts University of the Witwatersrand, in partial fulfilment of the degree of Master of Arts (Clinical Psychology). Johannesburg, 1981 / The present study aimed first, at determining whether part-time (nursery-school attendance), and a full-time (day-care attendance) quantitative disruption in motherchild interaction, affects the child’s separation anxiety, stranger anxiety, frustration tolerance and general coping mechanisms. Second, the effect of the quality of mothering (the degree of maternal acceptance and responsiveness) on the child's separation anxiety, stranger anxiety, frustration tolerance and general coping mechanisms was assessed. Thirdly and fourthly, this study aimed at determining whether the age and the sex of the child affect the separation anxiety, stranger anxiety, frustration tolerance and general coping mechanisms exhibited by that child; and finally whether there is a relationship between separation anxiety, stranger anxiety, frustration tolerance and general coping mec hanisms. Fifty-six four-year-olds and their mothers were observed. These included 14 children who stayed home with their mothers; 14 children attending nursery-school; 14 children attending a day-care centre from the age of three; and 14 children attending a day-care centre froc the age of one. A problem-solving task was administered to the children to obtain a measure of their frustration tolerance; a modified version of the Ainsworth-Wittig Strange-Situation Procedure was employed to measure the children's separation anxiety and stranger anxiety;