Die studie fokus op etnisiteit gedurende die oorgang na 'n nuwe politieke bedeling in Suid-Afrika. Op teoretiese vlak is aandag gegee aan ideologiese strominge; dimensies van etnisiteit; die omskrywing van etnisiteit en die onderskeid tussen etnisiteit en ander vorme van groepidentifisering. Etnisiteit is verder op sosiaalsielkundige vlak ontleed, terwyl die invloed van ekonomiese, politieke en staatkundige faktore verreken is. Kontekstuele faktore tydens die ondersoek wat resultate kon be'invloed, is ook bestudeer. Die empiriese komponent het 'n vraelysopname in die Pretoria-WitwatersrandVereeniging- gebied (Gauteng) behels. Onderhoude is gedurende Januarie en Februarie 1994 voltooi, aan die vooraand van 'n nuwe politieke bedeling. Ewekansige steekproewe is getrek van 466 swartmense en 460 witmense (347 Afrikaanssprekendes en 113 Engelssprekendes). Patrone van etniese, staatkundige en rasse-identifisering; die betekenis van etnisiteit vir die individu; persepsies van die situasie van groepe en faktore wat etniese identifisering kon be"invloed, is gedek. Die konstrukgeldigheid en dimensies van skale is met hoofkomponent- en hooffaktorontledings ondersoek. Variansie-ontledings het verskille tussen groepe ge'identifiseer, terwyl meervoudige regressie-ontledings voorspellers van etniese identifisering uitgelig het. Belangrike bevindings is die volgende: * Etnisiteit was 'n belangrike bron van groepidentifisering vir sowel swartmense as witmense. 'n Sielkundige dimensie - etniese identiteit - wat verband hou met trots op en lojaliteit teenoor die onsgroep was onderskeibaar. Sterker etniese identifisering het by alle groepe gekorreleer met identiteitsverwerwing; betrokkenheid by en eksplorasie ten opsigte van die onsgroep; minder ambivalente gevoelens oor onsgroeplidmaatskap en 'n drang om onsgroepbelange te beskerm. Sterker etniese identifisering het by Afrikaanssprekende witmense met 'n positiewe selfbeeld en by swartmense met 'n negatiewe selfbeeld gekorreleer. Laer onderwyskwalifikasies het by Afrikaanssprekende witmense met sterker etniese identifisering gekorreleer. Die teenoorgestelde het gegeld vir Afrikaanssprekendes met hoer onderwyskwalifikasies. Persepsies van bedreiging het by Afrikaanssprekende witmense met sterker etniese identifisering verband gehou. Sterker etniese identifisering het by alle groepe 6f met negatiewe tussengroepgedrag 6f met negatiewe tussengroephoudings gekorreleer. Die gevolgtrekking word gemaak dat op alle terreine rekening gehou moet word met die etniese heterogeniteit van die Suid-Afrikaanse samelewing. / The study focuses on ethnicity during the transition to a new political dispensation in South Africa. At the theoretical level, attention was given to ideological trends; dimensions of ethnicity; the description of ethnicity and the distinction between ethnicity and other forms of group identification. Ethnicity was furthermore analyzed at the socio-psychological level, while the influence of economic, political and constitutional factors was also considered. Contextual factors during the investigation which could have influenced the results were also analyzed. The empirical component comprised a questionnaire survey in the PretoriaWitwatersrand- Vereeniging area (Gauteng). Interviews were conducted during January and February 1994, on the eve of a new political dispensation. Randomly selected samples were drawn of 466 blacks and 460 whites (347 Afrikaansspeaking and 113 English-speaking). Patterns of ethnic, national and race identification; the meaning of ethnicity for the individual; perceptions of the situation of groups and factors that could influence ethnic identification were covered. The construct validity and dimensions of scales were investigated by means of main component and main factor analyses. Variance analyses identified differences between groups, whereas multiple regression analyses were used to determine predictors of ethnic identification. Important findings were the following: * Ethnicity was an important source of group identification for blacks as well as whites. A psychological dimension - ethnic identity - that related to pride in and loyalty to the ingro11p was highlighted. Stronger ethnic identification correlated among all groups with identity formation; involvement with and exploration regarding the ingroup; less ambivalent feelings about ingroup membership and an urge to protect ingroup interests. Stronger ethnic identification correlated among the Afrikaans-speaking whites with a positive self-image and among the blacks with a negative selfimage. Lower educational qualifications correlated among Afrikaans-speaking whites with stronger ethnic identification. The opposite applied to Afrikaansspeaking whites with higher educational qualifications. Perceived threats were associated with stronger ethnic identification among Afrikaans-speaking whites. Stronger ethnic identification correlated among all groups either with negative intergroup behaviour or with negative intergroup attitudes. It is concluded that ethnic heterogeneity should be taken into account in all spheres of the South African society. / Department of Psychology / D. Lit. et Phil (Psychology)

Human sociality, with its wide scope, early ontogeny and pervasiveness across cultures, is remarkable from an evolutionary perspective. We form bonds with other individuals and live in large social groups. We help, empathise with and share our resources with others, who are unfamiliar and genetically unrelated to us. It has been suggested that interpersonal coordination and rhythmic synchronisation of movements may be one proximate mechanism that enables such widespread human sociality and facilitates cooperation. In the last decade, considerable research has examined the effect of movement synchrony on social bonding and cooperation. However, when this thesis started, there was virtually no experimental study investigating the ontogeny of the movement synchrony-social bonding link, which is proposed to have deep evolutionary roots and important, long-lasting consequences in social life. This thesis aims to investigate the effects of movement synchrony on social bonding and cooperative behaviour across different time points in ontogeny. Three experimental studies were conducted examining infancy, early childhood and middle childhood. Each study explored a different aspect of social bonding and cooperation based on the motor, social and cognitive developments that mark that age group. Study 1a found that at 12 months of age, infants prefer individuals who move in synchrony with them, when the individuals are social entities, but not when they are non-social. Study 1b showed no preferences for synchrony at 9 months in either social or non-social contexts, however. Study 2 revealed that in early childhood, performing synchronous movements actively with a peer facilitates helping behaviour among the children, as well as eye contact and mutual smiling during the interaction. Finally, Study 3 showed that the social bonding effects of movement synchrony applied to inter- group settings and that performing synchronous movements with out-groups increased bonding towards the out-group in middle childhood. This thesis followed an interdisciplinary, integrative and naturalistic approach, where (i) literature from a wide range of disciplines motivated and guided the present research; (ii) links between motor, social and cognitive aspects of development, which are often investigated separately, are formed; and (iii) the experiments were designed in ways that represent the real-life occurrences of the investigated phenomena. The current findings provide the first substantial evidence that movement synchrony facilitates social bonding and cooperation in childhood and thereby provides a foundation for future research.

Die studie fokus op etnisiteit gedurende die oorgang na 'n nuwe politieke bedeling in Suid-Afrika. Op teoretiese vlak is aandag gegee aan ideologiese strominge; dimensies van etnisiteit; die omskrywing van etnisiteit en die onderskeid tussen etnisiteit en ander vorme van groepidentifisering. Etnisiteit is verder op sosiaalsielkundige vlak ontleed, terwyl die invloed van ekonomiese, politieke en staatkundige faktore verreken is. Kontekstuele faktore tydens die ondersoek wat resultate kon be'invloed, is ook bestudeer. Die empiriese komponent het 'n vraelysopname in die Pretoria-WitwatersrandVereeniging- gebied (Gauteng) behels. Onderhoude is gedurende Januarie en Februarie 1994 voltooi, aan die vooraand van 'n nuwe politieke bedeling. Ewekansige steekproewe is getrek van 466 swartmense en 460 witmense (347 Afrikaanssprekendes en 113 Engelssprekendes). Patrone van etniese, staatkundige en rasse-identifisering; die betekenis van etnisiteit vir die individu; persepsies van die situasie van groepe en faktore wat etniese identifisering kon be"invloed, is gedek. Die konstrukgeldigheid en dimensies van skale is met hoofkomponent- en hooffaktorontledings ondersoek. Variansie-ontledings het verskille tussen groepe ge'identifiseer, terwyl meervoudige regressie-ontledings voorspellers van etniese identifisering uitgelig het. Belangrike bevindings is die volgende: * Etnisiteit was 'n belangrike bron van groepidentifisering vir sowel swartmense as witmense. 'n Sielkundige dimensie - etniese identiteit - wat verband hou met trots op en lojaliteit teenoor die onsgroep was onderskeibaar. Sterker etniese identifisering het by alle groepe gekorreleer met identiteitsverwerwing; betrokkenheid by en eksplorasie ten opsigte van die onsgroep; minder ambivalente gevoelens oor onsgroeplidmaatskap en 'n drang om onsgroepbelange te beskerm. Sterker etniese identifisering het by Afrikaanssprekende witmense met 'n positiewe selfbeeld en by swartmense met 'n negatiewe selfbeeld gekorreleer. Laer onderwyskwalifikasies het by Afrikaanssprekende witmense met sterker etniese identifisering gekorreleer. Die teenoorgestelde het gegeld vir Afrikaanssprekendes met hoer onderwyskwalifikasies. Persepsies van bedreiging het by Afrikaanssprekende witmense met sterker etniese identifisering verband gehou. Sterker etniese identifisering het by alle groepe 6f met negatiewe tussengroepgedrag 6f met negatiewe tussengroephoudings gekorreleer. Die gevolgtrekking word gemaak dat op alle terreine rekening gehou moet word met die etniese heterogeniteit van die Suid-Afrikaanse samelewing. / The study focuses on ethnicity during the transition to a new political dispensation in South Africa. At the theoretical level, attention was given to ideological trends; dimensions of ethnicity; the description of ethnicity and the distinction between ethnicity and other forms of group identification. Ethnicity was furthermore analyzed at the socio-psychological level, while the influence of economic, political and constitutional factors was also considered. Contextual factors during the investigation which could have influenced the results were also analyzed. The empirical component comprised a questionnaire survey in the PretoriaWitwatersrand- Vereeniging area (Gauteng). Interviews were conducted during January and February 1994, on the eve of a new political dispensation. Randomly selected samples were drawn of 466 blacks and 460 whites (347 Afrikaansspeaking and 113 English-speaking). Patterns of ethnic, national and race identification; the meaning of ethnicity for the individual; perceptions of the situation of groups and factors that could influence ethnic identification were covered. The construct validity and dimensions of scales were investigated by means of main component and main factor analyses. Variance analyses identified differences between groups, whereas multiple regression analyses were used to determine predictors of ethnic identification. Important findings were the following: * Ethnicity was an important source of group identification for blacks as well as whites. A psychological dimension - ethnic identity - that related to pride in and loyalty to the ingro11p was highlighted. Stronger ethnic identification correlated among all groups with identity formation; involvement with and exploration regarding the ingroup; less ambivalent feelings about ingroup membership and an urge to protect ingroup interests. Stronger ethnic identification correlated among the Afrikaans-speaking whites with a positive self-image and among the blacks with a negative selfimage. Lower educational qualifications correlated among Afrikaans-speaking whites with stronger ethnic identification. The opposite applied to Afrikaansspeaking whites with higher educational qualifications. Perceived threats were associated with stronger ethnic identification among Afrikaans-speaking whites. Stronger ethnic identification correlated among all groups either with negative intergroup behaviour or with negative intergroup attitudes. It is concluded that ethnic heterogeneity should be taken into account in all spheres of the South African society. / Department of Psychology / D. Lit. et Phil (Psychology)