Psychological research focusing on the relationship between self-awareness and leadership has subsequently attracted criticism, regarding both the conceptualisation and measurements used therein. Specifically, the previous use of difference scores to measure self-awareness has become associated with issues of reliability and the conceptualisation of self-awareness within the emotional intelligence paradigm has been considered a limitation. To study the relationship between self-awareness and leadership while acknowledging the need for improved methods, the current research conceptually extended self-awareness to include recognition of cognitive and social intelligence as well as emotional intelligence within the self. In addition, the current study tested a newly proposed correlational method for measuring self-awareness. The leader-follower relationship was represented by seventy two managers who were each paired with one of seventy two respective subordinate employees. Each manager rated their own cognitive, social and emotional intelligence at two points in time, two weeks apart, and their respective employee subordinate rated the manager on twelve Leader Behaviours. As predicted, the managers’ mean self-ratings were associated with employee-rated Leader Behaviour. Inconsistent with the literature and against prediction, correlational scores taken between the managers’ two self-rating times were not associated with Leader Behaviour. In addition, results were inconsistent with the prediction that difference scores between the managers’ two rating times would be associated with leader behaviour. The current study contributed to the scientific understanding of the association between social intelligence and leadership as well as the relationship between self-awareness and leader behaviour. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed in reference to organisational leadership.

Emotional and external eating are common eating behaviours in the general population, while not disordered eating per se they have been linked to overeating, obesity and problems engaging in health behaviours. Theories of emotional and external eating have been around for decades however little is known of the factors that contribute to these eating behaviours. Emotional and external eating tend to co-occur, and high correlations between them have been reported. Some theorists have argued that they are not distinct constructs. The current study aimed to provide further understanding on the nature and distinction between emotional and external eating in a non-clinical sample. The associations of impulsivity, alexithymia and negative affect in emotional and external eating were investigated, utilising a cross-sectional design. These variables have been shown to be related to eating behaviour in clinical samples however there has been limited research in non-clinical samples. Emotional eating was positively associated with alexithymia, negative affect and lack of perseverance, the relationship with urgency was less clear. External eating was indirectly associated with depression through the mediating variable urgency. The results indicated that emotional and external eating do show some similarities in the variables associated with them, however, the pattern of associations were different for the two eating behaviours. It appears from this study that the theoretical distinction between emotional eating and external eating is warranted with emotional eating appearing to be directly associated with problems with affect regulation whereas external eating is indirectly associated with negative affect.

The utilization of non-professional counsellors is increasing as the number of HIV-positive South Africans increases, together with the levels of criminal violence in South Africa. Non-professional counsellors work with people that are distressed and counsel people that are coping with trauma. The promotion and protection of counsellors' well-being is vital. Counsellors have to attentively guide people and avoid or alleviate feelings of stress and prevent burnout caused by the counselling process. People who work in human services are more likely to experience stress due to close involvement and interaction with other people. Emotional intelligence and coping can influence the well-being (burnout and engagement) of non-professional counsellors. Emotional intelligence may be crucial in helping counsellors work with different people and encourage their well-being. It is believed to assist in the conceptualisation of psychological well-being and can be applied as a means to successfully cope with demands and pressures of the environment. The objective of this study was to determine the relationship between emotional intelligence, burnout, engagement and coping among non-professional counsellors in Gauteng and the North-West Province. A cross-sectional survey design was used. A non-probability convenience sample was taken from various institutions employing non-professional counsellors in Gauteng and the North-West Province (7V=172). The Maslach Burnout Inventory, The Emotional Intelligence Scale (SEIS), Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES) and The COPE Questionnaire (COPE) were administered. Cronbach alpha coefficients, Spearman-product correlation coefficients, Manovas (to determine differences in demographical groups) and Multiple Regression analyses were used to analyse the data. Principal component analysis resulted in a two factor model for emotional intelligence, namely: emotion appraisal and emotion utilisation. Regarding burnout, a two factor model was also extracted namely: emotional exhaustion and cynicism. The factor that was found for engagement was work engagement. A four factor model was found for coping namely: approach coping, avoidance, turning to religion and seeking emotional support. The correlation coefficients indicated that emotional Exhaustion and avoidance were positively related to cynicism. Emotion appraisal was positively related to emotion utilisation, work engagement, approach coping and seeking emotional support. Emotion utilisation was positively related to approach coping and seeking emotional support. Furthermore, approach coping and seeking emotional support as coping strategies were positively related to each other. Turning to religion as coping strategy was positively related to seeking emotional support. Lastly, work engagement was positively related to emotion appraisal. MANOVA analyses were used to determine any differences in the experience of emotional intelligence, coping, cynicism and emotional exhaustion indicated the following: No differences in emotional intelligence levels, cynicism, emotional exhaustion and work engagement could be found between gender and language groups, education levels and province. However, differences in coping strategies based on language groups and provinces were found. African language groups use avoidance and seeking emotional support more as coping strategies than Afrikaans language groups. Participants in the North-West province use avoidance more as a coping strategy than participants in Gauteng. Multiple Regression analyses showed that emotional intelligence and coping predicted 16 % of the variance in work engagement, 17% of the variance explained in cynicism and 11% of the variance in emotional exhaustion. Recommendations were made for non-professional counsellors and for future research purposes. / Thesis (M.A. (Human Resource Management))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2008.

Therapeutic and support services provision for children with dual intellectual disability and emotional and/or behavioural difficulties was evaluated in the present study. The participants were parents of children with dual disabilities, aged between 5 and 12 and attending mainstream schools in Christchurch, New Zealand, and managers of service providers for the target group. Parents and service managers partook in semi-structured interviews designed to obtain information about patterns of service provision. The results of the present study indicate that parents and managers had similar perceptions of the extent to which services in Christchurch currently met the needs of the target children and families. Additionally, the study functioned as a pilot of the design and methods for a potential future project; therefore parent participants also completed two checklists estimating their child’s adaptive functioning and the type and severity of their emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a computer program in conjunction with instruction from the researcher, in helping individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders improve their emotional and social skills. In an A-B- A with replication across participants design, three participants used the program for 20 minutes a day for 15-18 sessions in a school setting, across six weeks. The researcher provided one on one support to participants while they used the program. The participants were aged 10 to 12 and had previously been diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome or High-Functioning Autism. Participant’s progress was measured by conducting pre-and post intervention interviews with parents and teachers of participants, and the participants themselves. Data was also collected while the participant used the computer program and from the diary entries completed each session. Naturalistic observations were conducted to determine if any effects of the program were generalized. The results demonstrated that participant’s emotion recognition improved as shown by an increase in emotion scenarios completed in the computer program. In addition emotion expression skills improved as demonstrated by content of participant’s diary entries. An improvement in social skills was also shown by participants becoming more engaged in group activities, physical education and making friends. The results show preliminary evidence for the program, in conjunction with individualized support, being a promising treatment method to teach emotion recognition and social skills. It is unclear how much of an effect the support of the researcher and the diary component, had on participants progress. Future research should focus on making outcomes more consistent and widely generalized. Implications for research, practice and program development are discussed.

There is a developing international understanding of the relationship between gender, wellbeing and educational outcomes. Wellbeing influences students’ abilities to learn and emotional wellbeing is fundamental to children’s learning and ability to develop positive relationships with others. Research has found that those who have emotional competencies and skills find it easier to manage themselves, relate to others, resolve conflict, and feel positive about themselves and the world around them (CASEL, 2003; Greatz, 2008). Boys’ emotional wellbeing has been a particular focus of the discussion because of their lack of engagement at school and increasing levels of violence and bullying. This qualitative study investigated the factors that influenced the emotional wellbeing of a group of 12 year old boys in their final year of primary school. This age group was the focus of this research as it is a transitional age in relation to puberty and secondary school. The study involved one adult listening to, and making meaning from eight young boys’ perceptions of their world during a semi-structured interview with two focus groups. Analysing the data involved the qualitative strategy of thematic analysis where themes and categories were identified and then further analysed for corresponding linkages and relationships. The findings identified a multifaceted range of factors that influenced boys’ emotional wellbeing. Family, friendships, school and the wider community were all specifically identified as enhancing or harming emotional wellbeing. Strongly underpinning all of the factors was the influence of normalised gendered behaviours within different social contexts that enforced conformity towards a hegemonic form of masculinity. Boys’ failure to follow the ‘rules’ assigned to a social groupings hegemonic form of masculinity, ran the risk for them of being relegated to a lower rank, being unable to manage or express emotions, being excluded, or becoming the victim of bullying. The research concluded that boys need support in developing a wide range of personal and interpersonal skills and strategies to enhance emotional wellbeing. Underpinning the development of these skills however, is the need for a safe and supportive home, peer group and school environment where students can be empowered to think critically and deconstruct the way in which gender norms influence social interaction and behaviour. Peers, teachers, schools, families and the wider community working in synergy are crucial to developing an approach that addresses and enhances emotional wellbeing.

Outdoor adventure programming is a diverse field of study with multiple scopes of practice. Outdoor adventure literature often focuses on the risk management of participants’ physical safety. There is a lack of focus on participants’ emotional safety which is important in many areas of practice, and predominantly when working with youth. Outdoor adventure programs hire staff with technical skills training, and post-secondary education programs provide such training. Child and youth care is a post-secondary degree that provides graduates with skills to work alongside youth in a variety of settings and contexts. Content analysis was used to examine the intersection and alignment of outdoor adventure and child and youth care post-secondary education programs by analyzing five upper year required courses. The results show that child and youth care students are receiving explicit interpersonal skills training, which the outdoor adventure literature states is important. This study provides insight into what components of outdoor adventure youth work are important for students to learn, and insight on how to enhance education and knowledge for front-line workers. / Graduate

The primary aim of this thesis was to increase healthcare professionals’ understanding surrounding the emotional distress of paediatric oncology patients prior to reaching five-year survivorship status, to inform resource allocation and evidence-based clinical interventions. Paper 1 systematically reviewed the extant literature that has assessed the emotional distress severity of paediatric oncology patients who had not yet reached five-year survivorship status. Contradictory findings were evident from the 21 studies reviewed. These inconsistencies in findings were discussed in relation to methodological limitations present within the studies and the heterogeneous oncology and control groups studied. The review concluded that further multiple-centre studies, using appropriate self-report and parent-proxy standardised measures, and larger, representative samples comprising patients with CNS and non-CNS malignancies at differing points in their treatment journeys, are needed to identify demographic, illness and treatment variables that leave paediatric oncology patients vulnerable to emotional distress. The empirical paper presented in Paper 2 utilised a rigorous methodology to address this need, and additionally explored modifiable psychological risk factors for emotional distress in this population. 74 paediatric oncology patients (aged 12-18 years), who were within five years of treatment completion, completed self-report measures of emotional distress, self-concept and health related quality of life (HRQOL), whilst their parents provided background information regarding patients’ demographics, diagnoses and treatment protocols. 72 parents also provided ratings surrounding patients’ self-concepts and HRQOL. The mean emotional distress rating indicated that the sample was clinically distressed. Demographic, illness and treatment factors explained little variance in emotional distress, whilst global self-concept, global-generic and cancer-specific HRQOL were significant predictors. Provisional analyses indicated that experiencing pain, illness-related worries, communication difficulties and negative self-views in relation to maths abilities, parent relations and opposite-sex peer relations were specific risk factors in the sample studied. Patient- and parent-reports of patients’ self-concepts and HRQOL were highly consistent. These findings suggest that paediatric oncology patients would benefit from frequent routine screening for emotional distress to allow early identification and intervention. Furthermore, prevention-oriented interventions surrounding emotional distress, and indirect interventions targeting global self-concept and HRQOL could be beneficial. Paper 3 critically appraises the systematic review and empirical paper in terms of their methodologies and clinical contexts. It is acknowledged that some of the results are preliminary in nature and need replicating in larger samples. Nevertheless, this research was successful in exploring demographic, illness, treatment and psychological risk factors for emotional distress for paediatric oncology patients prior to reaching five-year survivorship status, providing guidance for future clinical interventions, and making suggestions for future studies, in terms of their aims and methodologies.

The present study investigated whether the presentation of severe psychological injury increased the perceived likelihood of sexual harassment and more plaintiff-friendly verdicts in a hostile environment sexual harassment claim. Four hundred thirty-two participants were presented with a case summary divided into five paragraphs. Within the fifth paragraph, participants were informed that the plaintiff suffered from different severity levels of psychological injury. Gender was monitored to ensure a proportional amount of males and females in each condition. Results indicated that the presentation of psychological injury in any form increased the likelihood of perceived sexual harassment and verdicts for the plaintiff. Participants believed that garden-variety injuries (i.e., embarrassment, humiliation) were more likely to occur from sexual harassment, and had a greater impact on their perceptions and liability determinations. These results suggest that participants may use the presentation of psychological injury as a heuristic that when present, favors the plaintiff. / Department of Psychological Science

This study examined implicit and explicit attitudes of teachers toward the Emotional Disturbance (ED) label, the strength of association between implicit and explicit ratings, and the variance in attitudes between different types of teachers or among teachers in different settings. Ninety-eight teachers (52 regular education and 46 special education teachers), from a mix of urban and rural school districts in central Indiana, completed three computer-based attitudinal measures: an implicit association test (IAT), a Social Distance Scale (SDS), and the Scale of Attitudes toward Disabled Persons (SADP). Results indicated that teachers possess a significant preference for the category of Learning Disability (LD) compared to ED, and the correspondence between implicit and explicit attitudes toward those two labels was strong. This data supports the notion that the ED label is perceived far too negatively by educators to serve as an effective category of services for children with serious mental health issues. / Department of Educational Psychology