The current study tested the effect of ego resilience on engagement and achievement as mediated by social relatedness, using three waves of data and controlling for the stability of each construct as well as within wave correlations among study variables. Using structural equation modeling, we were able to control for the stability of each construct as well as the within wave correlations of residual error variances between constructs. The model also took into account the transactional properties of academic engagement and academic achievement. Furthermore, the study tested the moderation effects of gender on each theoretically-significant path. Despite the models having adequate fit indices, in the larger context of the model the hypothesis that ego resiliency predicts subsequent social relatedness was not supported in either reading or math revised models. Because of this, the overall study hypothesis that social relatedness would mediate the relationship between ego resiliency and subsequent academic engagement and achievement was not supported. However, there were several findings of interest. The results of this study were consistent with the reasoning that social relatedness helps children feel more accepted and supported by peers and teachers, therefore promoting more classroom engagement. Findings suggested that, while social interactions seem to impact students? academic engagement across in the subsequent year, their level of ego resilience at school entry appears to be an important long-term contributor to math achievement two years later. The moderation analyses indicated that ego resilience had more effect on boys? reading achievement and academic engagement two years later. Study limitations and implications were also discussed.

The objectives of this study were to investigate the relationship between positive psychological capacities (state ego-resilience and state self-efficacy) and burnout levels of employees (N = 164) in a chemical organisation and to determine whether state ego-resilience and state self-efficacy can be used to predict burnout levels of employees in a chemical organisation. A cross-sectional survey design was used. The Ego-Resiliency Scale (ER89), the State Self Efficacy Scale (SSES) and the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory (OLBI) were administered to measure the constructs. The research method for this article consists of a brief literature review and an empirical study. Confirmatory factor analyses, Cronbach's alpha coefficients and the inter-item correlation coefficients were used to assess the reliability and validity of the measuring instruments. Descriptive statistics were used to describe data, and Pearson's product moment correlation coefficients, and regression analyses were used to examine the relationships between the constructs employed in this research. Results obtained confirmed the internal consistency and one-dimensional factor structures of the state ego-resilience and state self-efficacy measuring instruments. Although the two - dimensional factor structure of the OLBI was confirmed, the two subscales were not consistent with the expected factor structure. Consequently, only the total burnout scale (which presented with adequate internal consistency) was used. A significant statistical and practical correlation was found between state ego-resilience and burnout. State self-efficacy and burnout demonstrated a significant statistical and practical correlation. Regression analyses indicated that both state ego-resilience and state self-efficacy hold predictive value with regard to burnout. Conclusions were made, limitations of the current research were discussed and recommendations for future research were put forward. / Thesis (M.Com. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2008.

The objectives of this study were to investigate the relationship between positive psychological capacities (state ego-resilience and state self-efficacy) and burnout levels of employees (N = 164) in a chemical organisation and to determine whether state ego-resilience and state self-efficacy can be used to predict burnout levels of employees in a chemical organisation. A cross-sectional survey design was used. The Ego-Resiliency Scale (ER89), the State Self Efficacy Scale (SSES) and the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory (OLBI) were administered to measure the constructs. The research method for this article consists of a brief literature review and an empirical study. Confirmatory factor analyses, Cronbach's alpha coefficients and the inter-item correlation coefficients were used to assess the reliability and validity of the measuring instruments. Descriptive statistics were used to describe data, and Pearson's product moment correlation coefficients, and regression analyses were used to examine the relationships between the constructs employed in this research. Results obtained confirmed the internal consistency and one-dimensional factor structures of the state ego-resilience and state self-efficacy measuring instruments. Although the two - dimensional factor structure of the OLBI was confirmed, the two subscales were not consistent with the expected factor structure. Consequently, only the total burnout scale (which presented with adequate internal consistency) was used. A significant statistical and practical correlation was found between state ego-resilience and burnout. State self-efficacy and burnout demonstrated a significant statistical and practical correlation. Regression analyses indicated that both state ego-resilience and state self-efficacy hold predictive value with regard to burnout. Conclusions were made, limitations of the current research were discussed and recommendations for future research were put forward. / Thesis (M.Com. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2008.

This study is designed to investigate the relationships among affective and cognitive personal qualities leading to psychological resilience among natural disaster survivors. The main assumption of this study is that positive personal qualities might be associated with better psychological adjustment. The study aimed at testing a hypothesized theoretical model accounting for resilience with regard to personal qualities. The sample for this study was composed of individuals who were exposed to earthquakes that occurred in 1999 in Marmara region of Western Turkey. The study hypothesized that the dispositional cognitive and affective constructs (hope, optimism, life satisfaction, self esteem and positive affect) play vital roles in pathways to psychological resilience. Initially hypothesized model based on cognitive-behavioral theoretical foundations was proposed and tested. The cognitive behavior approach holds the idea that thoughts are the determinants of functional and dysfunctional emotions and behaviors. In the model, global self esteem serve as an underlying mechanism that helps to human operate well on the environment. The positive influence of global self esteem can be observed in cognitive process and affective domain in individuals. Simultaneously a person develops an optimistic worldview based on the global self esteem. Self esteem leads a person to construe positive cognitive constructs influencing the general world of view positively and utilize those cognitive. Since thinking patterns influence the affective side of the person, if the person utilizes positive cognitive constructs while interpreting life events, he or she is likely to experience more positive feelings and to be satisfied with life at the same time The hypothesized model was trimmed. Dispositional hope (pathways and agentic thinking), optimism, positive affect, life satisfaction and self-esteem were regarded as independent latent variables while three factors of psychological resilience were valued as the latent dependent variables. Finally, a structural model was suggested to account for the pathways leading to resilience among the Turkish disaster survivors. According to the model, self esteem, dispositional hope and optimism have indirect effect on resilience components via positive affect and life satisfaction. For purposes, the Ego Resilience Scale was adapted into Turkish. Exploratory factor analysis yielded three-factor solution for Turkish disaster survivors and the resilience factors were labeled as Personal Strengths Relating Recovery / Positive Self-Appraisals and Openness to New Experience. The results revealed that the Ego Resiliency Scale is a validated and reliable measure of psychological resilience among Turkish disaster survivors.