Psychometrists have to be capable of stimulating growth and of assisting employees during psychometric assessments, seeing that the content of the instruments used might bring about psychological trauma. Graduate psychometrists often lack the interpersonal skills and knowledge, as well as the intrapersonal awareness, to sufficiently fulfil a helping role in the workplace. The objectives of this research were to conceptualise helping and the competencies associated with helping from the literature, to investigate what the content and methodology of a helping skills training programme should include, and to evaluate the effects of a helping skills training programme for psychometrists. The participants were Industrial Psychology Honours students from the School of Human Resource Sciences at the North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus. The entire population comprising 22 (N = 22) students were utilised. The stratified random sampling technique was used to divide the participants into the experimental and comparison groups. Three measuring instruments (Carkhuff scales, Personal Growth Initiative Scale and the Scales of Psychological Well-being) were administered before and after the training programme. The training programme in helping skills was administered to the experimental group first, where after their interpersonal skills and intrapersonal awareness were assessed during the post-tests. Descriptive statistics, Cronbach alpha coefficients, correlations and an Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) were used to analyse the data. The ANCOVA analysis confirmed the statistical and practical significance of three core dimensions of helping, namely empathy, respect and genuineness among the members of the experimental group, as well as the improvement in the helping skills of Responding to content and Personalising meaning. However, the dimension of concreteness did not show significant improvement. There was also no statistical or practical significant differences between the experimental and comparison group for personal growth or psychological well-being. However, one dimension of psychological well-being, namely purpose in life, improved in the experimental group. / Thesis (M.Com. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

Psychometrists have to be capable of stimulating growth and of assisting employees during psychometric assessments, seeing that the content of the instruments used might bring about psychological trauma. Graduate psychometrists often lack the interpersonal skills and knowledge, as well as the intrapersonal awareness, to sufficiently fulfil a helping role in the workplace. The objectives of this research were to conceptualise helping and the competencies associated with helping from the literature, to investigate what the content and methodology of a helping skills training programme should include, and to evaluate the effects of a helping skills training programme for psychometrists. The participants were Industrial Psychology Honours students from the School of Human Resource Sciences at the North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus. The entire population comprising 22 (N = 22) students were utilised. The stratified random sampling technique was used to divide the participants into the experimental and comparison groups. Three measuring instruments (Carkhuff scales, Personal Growth Initiative Scale and the Scales of Psychological Well-being) were administered before and after the training programme. The training programme in helping skills was administered to the experimental group first, where after their interpersonal skills and intrapersonal awareness were assessed during the post-tests. Descriptive statistics, Cronbach alpha coefficients, correlations and an Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) were used to analyse the data. The ANCOVA analysis confirmed the statistical and practical significance of three core dimensions of helping, namely empathy, respect and genuineness among the members of the experimental group, as well as the improvement in the helping skills of Responding to content and Personalising meaning. However, the dimension of concreteness did not show significant improvement. There was also no statistical or practical significant differences between the experimental and comparison group for personal growth or psychological well-being. However, one dimension of psychological well-being, namely purpose in life, improved in the experimental group. / Thesis (M.Com. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

A lot of changes have occurred in the Department of Education (DoE) since 1994. These changes require teachers to study, implement and assess learner outcomes while providing meaningful, engaged learning for a diverse learner population. To enable teachers to cope with changes in the education system, training and retraining of educators has become a major focus of the Department of Education (DoE). The Department of Education needs to ensure that training provided equips teachers with new knowledge and skills and thus enable them to provide education of high quality. Through the decentralization policy that characterises the new education dispensation in South Africa, School Management Teams (SMT) are required to see to it that training of teachers yields the desired results. To this end the School Management Team (SMT) should facilitate transfer of training among educators by providing ongoing support and coaching to trained educators. Ongoing coaching represents the concrete involvement of managers (principals) and supervisors (heads of department) in work–related transfer efforts. It appears, however, that SMTs are experiencing problems in facilitating transfer of training among educators in schools. These problems emanate from three key members of the training partnership, viz., managers, trainees and trainers. In general, problems seem to be related to trainee characteristics, work environmental factors, and training design and delivery. As a result, a research was undertaken to investigate the perceptions of SMTs about the seriousness of problems that they experience in facilitating transfer of training with the major aim of coming up with suggestion about how these problems can be eliminated. A cross–sectional empirical survey design using a questionnaire was used to collect data from 70 SMT members in 10 schools. The major findings from the research show that SMTs experience serious to very serious problems in the areas of providing time for professional development activities within the regular school day, giving incentives to educators for practicing skills learned in training, and providing resources that educators need to apply their newly gained skills. The major recommendation from this research concerns the training of SMTs in facilitating transfer of training prior to training of teachers. / Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

A lot of changes have occurred in the Department of Education (DoE) since 1994. These changes require teachers to study, implement and assess learner outcomes while providing meaningful, engaged learning for a diverse learner population. To enable teachers to cope with changes in the education system, training and retraining of educators has become a major focus of the Department of Education (DoE). The Department of Education needs to ensure that training provided equips teachers with new knowledge and skills and thus enable them to provide education of high quality. Through the decentralization policy that characterises the new education dispensation in South Africa, School Management Teams (SMT) are required to see to it that training of teachers yields the desired results. To this end the School Management Team (SMT) should facilitate transfer of training among educators by providing ongoing support and coaching to trained educators. Ongoing coaching represents the concrete involvement of managers (principals) and supervisors (heads of department) in work–related transfer efforts. It appears, however, that SMTs are experiencing problems in facilitating transfer of training among educators in schools. These problems emanate from three key members of the training partnership, viz., managers, trainees and trainers. In general, problems seem to be related to trainee characteristics, work environmental factors, and training design and delivery. As a result, a research was undertaken to investigate the perceptions of SMTs about the seriousness of problems that they experience in facilitating transfer of training with the major aim of coming up with suggestion about how these problems can be eliminated. A cross–sectional empirical survey design using a questionnaire was used to collect data from 70 SMT members in 10 schools. The major findings from the research show that SMTs experience serious to very serious problems in the areas of providing time for professional development activities within the regular school day, giving incentives to educators for practicing skills learned in training, and providing resources that educators need to apply their newly gained skills. The major recommendation from this research concerns the training of SMTs in facilitating transfer of training prior to training of teachers. / Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

The purpose of this study was to explore and describe the possible facilitation of emotional intelligence with learners who experience verbal learning disabilities. An empirical study of limited extent was conducted from an interpretivist-positivist paradigm. I followed a multi-method approach and employed a case study design, involving two learners as participants, both of whom had been diagnosed with verbal learning disabilities. I utilised qualitative as well as quantitative data collection methods, including observation, informal interviews, analysis of documents, a reflective diary, field notes (qualitative strategies) and the Bar-On EQ-i:YV™ self-report questionnaire (quantitative technique). After having obtained baseline information with regard to the emotional intelligence of the two participating learners at the onset of the study, I identified two skills that could potentially be enhanced, namely intrapersonal and adaptability skills. I then planned and facilitated intervention with the two participants, focussing on these two skills. Upon completion of the intervention, I re-administered the Bar-On EQ-i:YV™ self-report questionnaire to compare the results of the pre- and post-tests. The findings of the study were, firstly, that learners with verbal learning disabilities often experience challenges in terms of the emotional intelligence skills identified by Bar-On and Parker (2000). Secondly, it seems possible to facilitate the improvement of emotional intelligence skills with learners who experience verbal learning disabilities. Besides improvement in terms of their intrapersonal and adaptability skills, the participants displayed enhanced interpersonal and stress management skills. / Dissertation (MEd (Educational Psychology))--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Educational Psychology / unrestricted

Text in Afrikaans / Die doel van hierdie ondersoek is om die verskil in effek tussen direktiewe en nie-direktiewe insette van die fasiliteerder, tydens sensitiwiteitopleiding, te bepaal deur sommige kliente voor te berei op die ervaring deur middel van 'n uitdeelstuk en ander kliente nie voor te berei nie. Die sensitiwiteitgroepe word deurgaans op ongestruktureerde wyse hanteer en met behulp van 'n kwantitatiewe meting en verwerking met t-toetse asook 'n kwalitatiewe meting word hipoteses getoets. Die instrumente wat gebruik word is die POI, Rotter, Firo-B en 'n oopvraag-tegniek. Die resultate dui daarop dat persone wat voorberei word op die ervaring 'n groter interne lokus van kontrole openbaar. / The aim of this study is to determine the difference in effect between directive and non-directive inputs by the facilitator during sensitivity training, by preparing some clients for the experience with the aid of a handout while other clients go through the same experience unprepared. The sensitivity groups are run on an unstructured basis and effects are measured with a quantatitive measurement and calculated with t-tests as well as qualitative. measurement, thereby testing the hypotheses. The instruments that are used are the POI, Rotter, Firo-B and an open question technique. The results seem to indicate that people who are prepared for the experience show a higher internal locus of control. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M.A. (Bedryfsielkunde)

Die rol wat die tolk vervul, is sentraal tot die sukses van die kommunikasie waarby sprekers van verskillende tale betrokke is. Professionele liggame en instellings vereis van ʼn tolk om tydens enige tolkgeleentheid aan etiese kodes en praktykstandaarde te voldoen. Hierdie etiese kodes en praktykstandaarde is rigtinggewend in dié opsig dat dit in ʼn mate voorskryf hoe die tolk sy rol moet benader en vervul. Wat egter opgesluit is in dergelike voorskrifte is die voortdurende ondersteuning van die sogenaamde ‘kanaal’-rol, waarin die tolk as onsigbare ‘masjien’ gesien word. Die uitdaging wat dus aan die tolk gestel word, is om binne sy moontlike unieke omgewing slegs volgens die voorskriftelike kanaal-rolbeskrywing te funksioneer. Wat in die literatuur oor die onderwerp bevind is, is dat die verwagtinge wat deur so ʼn voorskriftelike rolbeskrywing aan die tolk gestel word, nie noodwendig haalbaar is in die praktyk nie. In die lig hiervan bring hierdie studie die rol van die opvoedkundige tolk op die voorgrond. Gemeenskapstolking in die breë verwys na tolking wat alle sosiaal-geörienteerde tolking saamvat, insluitend tolking wat verband hou met opvoeding of opleiding. Hierdie studie ondersoek gemeenskapstolktipes om vas te stel wat die ooreenkomste en verskille tussen die onderskeie tipes gemeenskapstolking is, en bevind dat opvoedkundige tolking uniek van aard is en dus ʼn unieke benadering noodsaak. Dit sluit aan by Mullamaa (2006:25) se siening dat ʼn sosiale ommekeer in tolknavorsing plaasgevind het en dat daar tans ʼn groter bewustheid van die kompleksiteit van tolking gekweek word. Toury (1995:53) en Pym (2010) ondersteun hierdie siening en voer aan dat die taalpraktisyn homself as deel van die sosiale omstandighede van die kommunikasiegeleentheid moet kan handhaaf. Op ʼn teoretiese vlak is Toury (1995:55) se normkonsep ingespan omdat dit kontekssensitief is en die inherente sosiale dinamika waarbinne vertaal- en tolkpraktyke gevestig word, verreken. Geskoei op die teoretiese normmodelle van Toury (1995:55) en Shlesinger (1999:65-77), wat ʼn meganisme daarstel waardeur normatiewe gedrag en rolgedrag gemeet kan word, asook Niska (2002:137-138) se teoretiese tolkrolmodel wat aanvoer dat die gemeenskapstolk homself in ʼn piramiede van betrokkenheid bevind, is bestaande en nuutingesamelde data geanaliseer om vas te stel presies wat die dinamiek is wat verreken behoort te word in die omskrywing van die rol wat opvoedkundige tolk vervul.Daar is bevind dat ʼn definisie van die rol van die opvoedkundige tolk gevind kan word tussen dit wat van die opvoedkundige tolk verwag word en dit wat in die werklikheid geskied. Die studie het bewys dat die rol van die opvoedkundige tolk inderdaad veranderlik is, en dat die wending na ʼn meer sosiaal-dinamiese rolmodel vir tolking ook by die rolvervullingsmodel vir opvoedkundige tolking inpas. Die teorie wat geponeer word, is dat die opvoedkundige tolk homself deurgaans op ʼn dinamiese kontinuum van beweeglikheid bevind waarbinne hy verskeie rolle vervul na gelang die spesifieke behoeftes van die tolkgeleentheid. Aanbevelings word gemaak vir die implementering van ʼn model vir opvoedkundige tolkrolvervulling in Suid-Afrika, asook vir verdere navorsingsmoontlikhede ten opsigte van die tolkrolgesprek. / Thesis (PhD (Linguistics and Literary Theory))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012

Die rol wat die tolk vervul, is sentraal tot die sukses van die kommunikasie waarby sprekers van verskillende tale betrokke is. Professionele liggame en instellings vereis van ʼn tolk om tydens enige tolkgeleentheid aan etiese kodes en praktykstandaarde te voldoen. Hierdie etiese kodes en praktykstandaarde is rigtinggewend in dié opsig dat dit in ʼn mate voorskryf hoe die tolk sy rol moet benader en vervul. Wat egter opgesluit is in dergelike voorskrifte is die voortdurende ondersteuning van die sogenaamde ‘kanaal’-rol, waarin die tolk as onsigbare ‘masjien’ gesien word. Die uitdaging wat dus aan die tolk gestel word, is om binne sy moontlike unieke omgewing slegs volgens die voorskriftelike kanaal-rolbeskrywing te funksioneer. Wat in die literatuur oor die onderwerp bevind is, is dat die verwagtinge wat deur so ʼn voorskriftelike rolbeskrywing aan die tolk gestel word, nie noodwendig haalbaar is in die praktyk nie. In die lig hiervan bring hierdie studie die rol van die opvoedkundige tolk op die voorgrond. Gemeenskapstolking in die breë verwys na tolking wat alle sosiaal-geörienteerde tolking saamvat, insluitend tolking wat verband hou met opvoeding of opleiding. Hierdie studie ondersoek gemeenskapstolktipes om vas te stel wat die ooreenkomste en verskille tussen die onderskeie tipes gemeenskapstolking is, en bevind dat opvoedkundige tolking uniek van aard is en dus ʼn unieke benadering noodsaak. Dit sluit aan by Mullamaa (2006:25) se siening dat ʼn sosiale ommekeer in tolknavorsing plaasgevind het en dat daar tans ʼn groter bewustheid van die kompleksiteit van tolking gekweek word. Toury (1995:53) en Pym (2010) ondersteun hierdie siening en voer aan dat die taalpraktisyn homself as deel van die sosiale omstandighede van die kommunikasiegeleentheid moet kan handhaaf. Op ʼn teoretiese vlak is Toury (1995:55) se normkonsep ingespan omdat dit kontekssensitief is en die inherente sosiale dinamika waarbinne vertaal- en tolkpraktyke gevestig word, verreken. Geskoei op die teoretiese normmodelle van Toury (1995:55) en Shlesinger (1999:65-77), wat ʼn meganisme daarstel waardeur normatiewe gedrag en rolgedrag gemeet kan word, asook Niska (2002:137-138) se teoretiese tolkrolmodel wat aanvoer dat die gemeenskapstolk homself in ʼn piramiede van betrokkenheid bevind, is bestaande en nuutingesamelde data geanaliseer om vas te stel presies wat die dinamiek is wat verreken behoort te word in die omskrywing van die rol wat opvoedkundige tolk vervul.Daar is bevind dat ʼn definisie van die rol van die opvoedkundige tolk gevind kan word tussen dit wat van die opvoedkundige tolk verwag word en dit wat in die werklikheid geskied. Die studie het bewys dat die rol van die opvoedkundige tolk inderdaad veranderlik is, en dat die wending na ʼn meer sosiaal-dinamiese rolmodel vir tolking ook by die rolvervullingsmodel vir opvoedkundige tolking inpas. Die teorie wat geponeer word, is dat die opvoedkundige tolk homself deurgaans op ʼn dinamiese kontinuum van beweeglikheid bevind waarbinne hy verskeie rolle vervul na gelang die spesifieke behoeftes van die tolkgeleentheid. Aanbevelings word gemaak vir die implementering van ʼn model vir opvoedkundige tolkrolvervulling in Suid-Afrika, asook vir verdere navorsingsmoontlikhede ten opsigte van die tolkrolgesprek. / Thesis (PhD (Linguistics and Literary Theory))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012

Text in Afrikaans / Die doel van hierdie ondersoek is om die verskil in effek tussen direktiewe en nie-direktiewe insette van die fasiliteerder, tydens sensitiwiteitopleiding, te bepaal deur sommige kliente voor te berei op die ervaring deur middel van 'n uitdeelstuk en ander kliente nie voor te berei nie. Die sensitiwiteitgroepe word deurgaans op ongestruktureerde wyse hanteer en met behulp van 'n kwantitatiewe meting en verwerking met t-toetse asook 'n kwalitatiewe meting word hipoteses getoets. Die instrumente wat gebruik word is die POI, Rotter, Firo-B en 'n oopvraag-tegniek. Die resultate dui daarop dat persone wat voorberei word op die ervaring 'n groter interne lokus van kontrole openbaar. / The aim of this study is to determine the difference in effect between directive and non-directive inputs by the facilitator during sensitivity training, by preparing some clients for the experience with the aid of a handout while other clients go through the same experience unprepared. The sensitivity groups are run on an unstructured basis and effects are measured with a quantatitive measurement and calculated with t-tests as well as qualitative. measurement, thereby testing the hypotheses. The instruments that are used are the POI, Rotter, Firo-B and an open question technique. The results seem to indicate that people who are prepared for the experience show a higher internal locus of control. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M.A. (Bedryfsielkunde)

South Africa has gone through immense changes in the past two decades. The period around 1994 has been characterised by a comprehensive set of political, social and economic changes, which greatly influenced not only the lives of individuals in this county but also many businesses, organisations and companies. Further to this, South Africa has become increasingly intercultural in orientation as companies persevered in establishing intricate networks with partners in a diverse set of cultures. This has put enormous strain on organisations to remain competitive in the market. It is critical that organisations develop a more resilient workforce with greater psychological capacities to succeed in the on-going war for talent. Attracting and retaining talented employees can give organisations a sustained competitive advantage. In view of the growing intricacies in the business world, ambiguity in markets, and employees’ attitudes, it is crucial that organisations invest in psychological assessments. However, investing in valid and reliable psychological assessments has become more difficult due to vast cultural diversity South Africa comprises off. The general objective of this study was to explore social desirability in the white Afrikaans group. A qualitative design was used and a quota non-probability sampling method was implemented among white Afrikaans-speaking people of South Africa (N=60), who differed from one another with regard to age, gender and socio-economic status. The measuring instrument was a semi-structured interview, which was based on the phenomenological approach. The results of the interviews were transcribed and captured in Excel. Content analysis was used to interpret the responses in socially desirable themes. Independent psychologists and language and cultural experts were employed in order to validate the initial interpretations. The descriptive terms were reduced through the use of cluster analysis. The analysis included the grouping of synonyms and antonyms, together with the use of dictionaries, literature and knowledge about content. In the representation of social desirability and impression management strategies within the white Afrikaner group, six main themes with sixty sub-themes in total were identified. The six themes are facilitating, gender-based, intellect-openness, interpersonal relatedness, intrapersonal relatedness and value-based. Firstly, to facilitate others by giving advice and guidance will be seen as desirable and make a favourable impression. Secondly, to display characteristics that are typically associated with males and females, such as masculinity and femininity, will be seen as desirable and can make a positive impression. Thirdly, having a unique natural ability or skill and being receptive to new and different ideas will be seen as desirable and make a good impression on others. Fourthly, remaining constructive in one’s relationships, and fifthly, remaining constructive in one’s inner thoughts and possessing inner confidence and having respect will make a favourable impression and can be seen as socially desirable. Lastly, exhibiting moral consciousness and being trustworthy, loyal and reliable will make a positive impression and will be perceived as desirable by the white Afrikaner group. Recommendations for future research and for practice were made. / MCom (Industrial Psychology), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014