No description available.

The relationship between community-wide change and patterns of variation and change within the individual is one of the cornerstones of variationist theorising. But while sociolinguistic theory makes clear and testable predictions regarding the use of stable vernacular features across the life-span of the individual, we lack real-time evidence on the age-graded nature of stable variability. Indeed, whereas apparent time research highlights the diachronic stability of (ing), only two research projects have explored its use within the individual speaker. Both report on pre-adult speakers. Our research expands the window of analysis by adding a later age-bracket to the investigation of age-graded variability. We consider the variable realisation of (ing) in a group of individuals between early adulthood and retirement.

This qualitative thesis deals self-knowledge in art expression. The work examines how the creator understands to his or her art product, what happens in the dialogue over the product and this understanding impacts to self-knowledge and self-transformation. The work represents the principle of expression and expressiveness as a phenomenon and mandala as a specific instrument of art expression, which is set in professional framework through its origin and tradition of use in therapeutic practice. The work is dedicated to process in which the meaning is explored and constitutes three stages, the first one is expression, second one is reflection and the third is analysis. Theory of expression, dynamic art therapy and hermeneutic approach are presented as three basic theoretical approaches in this work. The work describes three case reports in a dynamic process and interprets them through formal and thematic analysis, respectively which strategies are used to find meaning in picture and what is the character of the main topics. Keywords: Art expression, mandalas, self-knowledge, early adulthood, theory of expression, dynamic art therapy, hermeneutics.

The purpose of this study is to provide a groundwork for the understanding of the psychosocial development of black South African men. This need stems from the limitation of current models of psychosocial development, which have a white, middleclass bias, and from the dearth of research relating to black psychosocial development in South Africa. Questions which have guided the present study include the following: What is the nature of the psychosocial development of black men? What are the main developmental tasks that they have to negotiate, especially in relation to family and career? How do sociocultural, political and economic factors influence development? How does the development of black South African men compare with other conceptualisations of adult development? Daniel Levinson's (1978) theory of the life structure was used as a framework to explore these questions. This involved a series of in depth qualitative interviews with eight men between the ages of 29 and 41, from diverse educational and socio-economic backgrounds. The grounded theory approach used to analyse the data involved the simultaneous process of data collection and data analysis. Similarities and differences in the men's evolving life structures were identified through a process of coding, or organising the data into categories and themes. The findings highlighted the importance of understanding the dialectical nature of development, the role of life events, and the significance of role strain across the life span of black South African adults. Discrimination, economic constraints, traditional values, and the sociopolitical context were found to have an impact on the important developmental tasks. The coping strategies employed to deal with external barriers had an especially influential impact on the men's evolving life structures. A model of psychosocial development was proposed which addresses these factors, and which is thus more relevant to the lives of black South African men, than stage models such as Levinson's. Important implications on a societal and theoretical level, and for the professional practice of psychology emerged. It is hoped that these findings will enrich developmental theory in psychology training programmes, and guide career and personal counselling in the South African context. / Psychology / D.Litt. et Phil. (Psychology)

Abstract Schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders are severe and disabling mental disorders that break out during early adulthood, often when a person is in his/her early 20s. Furthermore, functional decline in many cognitive areas, including the ability to communicate in social interactions and impaired facial expression recognition, is typical to patients with schizophrenia. Understanding the risk factors of psychosis is essential as these disorders may be more amenable to treatment in their early stages. However, recognition of those at the highest risk of psychosis is challenging as no definitive biomarkers are available. Functional MRI is a promising tool that can potentially identify neural signals relating to the individual’s risk of psychosis onset. Psychotic disorders are etiologically heterogeneous disorders — both environmental and genetic factors have been linked to the onset of psychotic disorders. The most influential risk factor for a psychotic disorder is familial risk with genetic loading. The present study examines whether familial risk of psychosis (FR), the polygenic risk score for schizophrenia (PRS) and early adversity associate with brain response to faces. We used fMRI to measure blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) response to faces. Our study showed that FR associated with deviant prefrontal cortex BOLD responses. In addition, we detected that interregional BOLD signal and grey matter volume varied as a function of PRS; the lowest functional and structural covariance was detected in individuals with high PRS. We also detected that early adversities associated with brain response to faces and that this association varied as a function of glucocorticoid receptor gene expression. Our findings indicate that the above risk factors of psychosis associate with brain response to faces. / Tiivistelmä Skitsofrenia ja muut psykoosisairaudet ovat vakavia mielenterveyden häiriöitä, jotka puhkeavat usein nuorella aikuisiällä. Eräs tyypillinen piirre psykoosisairauksille on vaikeus tunnistaa muiden ihmisten kasvonilmeitä. Psykoosisairauksien riskitekijöiden ymmärtäminen on tärkeää, sillä hoito tehoaa parhaiten sairastumisen alkuvaiheessa. Suurimmassa psykoosivaarassa olevien henkilöiden tunnistaminen on kuitenkin haastavaa, sillä luotettavia tautiin liittyviä biomarkkereita ei ole saatavilla. Toiminnallinen magneettikuvaus (fMRI) on lupaava työkalu, jolla saattaa olla tulevaisuudessa käyttöarvoa psykoosivaaraan liittyvien aivomuutosten tunnistamisessa. Etiologialtaan psyykoosisairaudet ovat heterogeenisiä: sekä ympäristö että perinnölliset tekijät vaikuttavat yksilön sairastumisriskiin. Voimakkain riskitekijä on suvullinen psykoosialttius. Tässä osajulkaisuväitöskirjassa tutkitaan suvullisen psykoosialttiuden, skitsofrenian polygeenisen riskipisteen (PRS) sekä varhaisten vastoinkäymisten yhteyttä aivojen kasvonilmeitä tulkitsevaan järjestelmään. Tutkimuksessa on hyödynnetty fMRI-kuvausta kasvonilmestimuluksen aikana. Tutkimuksessamme suvullinen psykoosialttius oli yhteydessä etuotsalohkon fMRI-signaalimuutoksiin. Tämän lisäksi havaitsimme, että kasvonilmejärjestelmän fMRI-signaalin ja harmaan aineen kovarianssi oli yhteydessä PRS:ään: matalin aivoalueiden välinen korrelaatio havaittiin henkilöillä, joiden PRS oli korkea. Havaitsimme myös, että varhaiset vastoinkäymiset ovat yhteydessä kasvonilmeiden aikaansaamiin aivovasteisiin. Tämä assosiaatio oli myös yhteydessä glukokortikoidireseptorin geenin ilmentymiseen. Väitöskirjan löydökset viittaavat siihen, että edellä mainitut psykoosin riskitekijät ovat yhteydessä kasvonilmeitä tulkitsevaan järjestelmään.

No description available.

The purpose of this study is to provide a groundwork for the understanding of the psychosocial development of black South African men. This need stems from the limitation of current models of psychosocial development, which have a white, middleclass bias, and from the dearth of research relating to black psychosocial development in South Africa. Questions which have guided the present study include the following: What is the nature of the psychosocial development of black men? What are the main developmental tasks that they have to negotiate, especially in relation to family and career? How do sociocultural, political and economic factors influence development? How does the development of black South African men compare with other conceptualisations of adult development? Daniel Levinson's (1978) theory of the life structure was used as a framework to explore these questions. This involved a series of in depth qualitative interviews with eight men between the ages of 29 and 41, from diverse educational and socio-economic backgrounds. The grounded theory approach used to analyse the data involved the simultaneous process of data collection and data analysis. Similarities and differences in the men's evolving life structures were identified through a process of coding, or organising the data into categories and themes. The findings highlighted the importance of understanding the dialectical nature of development, the role of life events, and the significance of role strain across the life span of black South African adults. Discrimination, economic constraints, traditional values, and the sociopolitical context were found to have an impact on the important developmental tasks. The coping strategies employed to deal with external barriers had an especially influential impact on the men's evolving life structures. A model of psychosocial development was proposed which addresses these factors, and which is thus more relevant to the lives of black South African men, than stage models such as Levinson's. Important implications on a societal and theoretical level, and for the professional practice of psychology emerged. It is hoped that these findings will enrich developmental theory in psychology training programmes, and guide career and personal counselling in the South African context. / Psychology / D.Litt. et Phil. (Psychology)

Text in Afrikaans / It has been said that pupils are not adequately trained to think independently in the current educational system of South Africa. Therefore this research has been undertaken from a psycho-educational perspective to assess the contribution which a programme in cognitive empowerment can make towards the cognitive development and especially the general psychological development of teaching students in their final study year as potential career entrants. From this viewpoint recommendations can be made re the use of this programme in the broader educational context. In this study research has been done from a psycho-educational perspective concerning the cognitive, affective, normative and conative development of the late adolescent and the early career entrant and his/her personality in terms of this career. A group of final year teaching students, who were potential career entrants completed the Programme in Cognitive Empowerment. Before and after the presentation of this programme different media of evaluation were put into use. Based on this research, deductions have been made concerning the contribution which training in the programme has made to the development of the novice teachers. Finally, recommendations have been made concerning the implementing of such a programme. / Daar word beweer dat die onderwysstelsel in Suid-Afrika leerlinge nie toereikend tot selfstandige denke begelei nie. Gevolglik is in hierdie navorsing vanuit sielkundig-opvoedkundige perspektief ondersoek ingestel na die bydrae wat 'n program in kognitiewe versterking maak tot die kognitiewe, en veral die algemene psigiese wording van die finalejaar onderwysstudente - wat potensiele beroepstoetreders is. Hieruit kan dan aanbevelings gemaak word betreffende die gebruik van die program binne bree onderwysverband. In hierdie navorsing is vanuit sielkundig-opvoedkundige perspektief ondersoek ingestel na die kognitiewe, affektiewe, normatiewe en konatiewe wording van die laatadolessente en vroegvolwasse beroepstoetreders en hul persoonlikheid in terme van die beroepswereld. 'n Groep finalejaarstudente, wat potensiele onderwysberoepstoetreders was, het die Program vir Kognitiewe Versterking deurloop. Voor en na die aanbieding van hierdie program is verskillende evalueringsmedia ingeskakel. Uit hierdie ondersoek is gevolgtrekkings gemaak betreffende die bydrae van die program tot die wording van die onderwysberoepstoetreders. Enkele aanbevelings rakende die implementering van so 'n program is ten slotte gemaak. / Psychology of Education / D. Ed. (Sielkundige Opvoedkunde)

The master thesis focuses on the literary analysis and comparison of four books for young adults written by different authors. Two of the compared works are novels Eulengesang and Carolina: Ein knapper Lebenslauf by Iva Procházková, originally a Czech author and representative of a so called migrant literature. The thesis deals also with the novel Die Wolke by Gudrun Pausewang and the short story collection Meine freie deutsche Jugend written by Claudia Rusch. The main aim of the thesis is to compare and interpret the portayal of adolescence in the chosen works. Special attention is confined to the types of characters and situations they encounter, motivation for their behaviour and last but not least, to the motives. The opening chapters present historical overview of the Czech and German young adult literature. The thesis also includes a chapter on adolescence from the scientific perspective of developmental psychology. In the conclusion, the master thesis contrasts the chosen literary works in pairs: Eulengesang with Die Wolke and Carolina: Ein knapper Lebenslauf with Meine freie deutsche Jugend.

Text in Afrikaans / It has been said that pupils are not adequately trained to think independently in the current educational system of South Africa. Therefore this research has been undertaken from a psycho-educational perspective to assess the contribution which a programme in cognitive empowerment can make towards the cognitive development and especially the general psychological development of teaching students in their final study year as potential career entrants. From this viewpoint recommendations can be made re the use of this programme in the broader educational context. In this study research has been done from a psycho-educational perspective concerning the cognitive, affective, normative and conative development of the late adolescent and the early career entrant and his/her personality in terms of this career. A group of final year teaching students, who were potential career entrants completed the Programme in Cognitive Empowerment. Before and after the presentation of this programme different media of evaluation were put into use. Based on this research, deductions have been made concerning the contribution which training in the programme has made to the development of the novice teachers. Finally, recommendations have been made concerning the implementing of such a programme. / Daar word beweer dat die onderwysstelsel in Suid-Afrika leerlinge nie toereikend tot selfstandige denke begelei nie. Gevolglik is in hierdie navorsing vanuit sielkundig-opvoedkundige perspektief ondersoek ingestel na die bydrae wat 'n program in kognitiewe versterking maak tot die kognitiewe, en veral die algemene psigiese wording van die finalejaar onderwysstudente - wat potensiele beroepstoetreders is. Hieruit kan dan aanbevelings gemaak word betreffende die gebruik van die program binne bree onderwysverband. In hierdie navorsing is vanuit sielkundig-opvoedkundige perspektief ondersoek ingestel na die kognitiewe, affektiewe, normatiewe en konatiewe wording van die laatadolessente en vroegvolwasse beroepstoetreders en hul persoonlikheid in terme van die beroepswereld. 'n Groep finalejaarstudente, wat potensiele onderwysberoepstoetreders was, het die Program vir Kognitiewe Versterking deurloop. Voor en na die aanbieding van hierdie program is verskillende evalueringsmedia ingeskakel. Uit hierdie ondersoek is gevolgtrekkings gemaak betreffende die bydrae van die program tot die wording van die onderwysberoepstoetreders. Enkele aanbevelings rakende die implementering van so 'n program is ten slotte gemaak. / Psychology of Education / D. Ed. (Sielkundige Opvoedkunde)