Afrikaans text / Hierdie navorsing handel oar die verwantskap tussen prestasiemotivering en interpersoonlike style. Die konsepte wat in die navorsing beskryf word, is prestasiemotivering (vanuit 'n humanistiese raamwerk} en selfgelding, responsiwiteit en aanpasbaarheid (vanuit 'n behavioristiese raamwerk). Die gekose meetinstrumenter naamlik, die Bestuursmotiefvraelys vir prestasiemotivering en die lnterpersoonlike Verhoudingsvraelys vir interpersoonlike style, is op 'n steekproef van 155 middelvlakbestuurders wat die senior takseersentrum binne 'n semi-staatsdiens organisasie deurloop het, afgeneem. Die resultate is verwerk deur middel van korrelasie en regressie (enkelvoudig en meervoudig) tegnieke. Die korrelasie.:.analise het getoon dat daar 'n statisties betekenisvolle korrelasie bestaan tussen prestasiemotivering en selfgelding. Die enkelvoudige regressie-analise het getoon dat selfgelding, responsiwiteit en aanpasbaarheid 'n invloed op prestasiemotivering uitoefen. Die korrelasie- en regressie-analise dui daarop dat responsiwiteit en aanpasbaarheid 'n negatiewe invloed uitoefen op prestasiemotivering. 'n Moontlike voorspellingsmodel vir prestasiemotivering is nie ontwikkel nie, aangesien die integriteit van die resultate betwyfelword. / Hierdie navorsing handel oar die verwantskap tussen prestasiemotivering en interpersoonlike style. Die konsepte wat in die navorsing beskryf word, is prestasiemotivering (vanuit 'n humanistiese raamwerk} en selfgelding, responsiwiteit en aanpasbaarheid (vanuit 'n behavioristiese raamwerk). Die gekose meetinstrumenter naamlik, die Bestuursmotiefvraelys vir prestasiemotivering en die lnterpersoonlike Verhoudingsvraelys vir interpersoonlike style, is op 'n steekproef van 155 middelvlakbestuurders wat die senior takseersentrum binne 'n semi-staatsdiens organisasie deurloop het, afgeneem. Die resultate is verwerk deur middel van korrelasie en regressie (enkelvoudig en meervoudig) tegnieke. Die korrelasie.:.analise het getoon dat daar 'n statisties betekenisvolle korrelasie bestaan tussen prestasiemotivering en selfgelding. Die enkelvoudige regressie-analise het getoon dat selfgelding, responsiwiteit en aanpasbaarheid 'n invloed op prestasiemotivering uitoefen. Die korrelasie- en regressie-analise dui daarop dat responsiwiteit en aanpasbaarheid 'n negatiewe invloed uitoefen op prestasiemotivering. 'n Moontlike voorspellingsmodel vir prestasiemotivering is nie ontwikkel nie, aangesien die integriteit van die resultate betwyfelword. / This research deals with the relationship between achievement motivation and interpersonal styles. The concepts achievement motivation (from a humanistic point of view} and assertiveness, responsiveness and versatility {from a behavioristic point of view), have been described in this research. The chosen measuring instruments, namely the Management Motive questionnaire for achievement motivation and the Interpersonal Relations questionnaire for interpersonal styles, were administered by means of sampling a group of 155 from middle management who participated in the senior assessment centre in a semi-government organisation. The results were processed by using correlation and regression (simple and multiple) techniques. The correlation analysis showed significant statistical correlation between achievement motivation and assertiveness. The single regression analysis indicated that assertiveness, responsiveness and versatility have an influence on achievement motivation. The correlation and regression analysis showed that responsiveness and versatility impact negatively on achievement · motivation. The possible prediction model for achievement motivation has not been developed due to the integrity of the results being doubtful!. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / MCOM (Bedryfsielkunde)

本研究旨在探討國中新移民子女父母親管教態度、人際關係及學業成就之相關情形，就研究結果加以統整，並據以歸納結論，最後提出建議，以供有關教育相關人員瞭解及改善現況或未來研究之參考。 本研究主要結論如下： 一、新移民子女的父親管教態度、母親管教態度在要求上，對於七年級子女有顯著差異。 二、新移民子女父母親教育程度程度為研究所與大學或大專，在父母親管教態度的反應上有顯著差異。 三、新移民子女家中經濟狀況良好及富裕，其父母管教態度在反應及要求上有顯著差異。 四、新移民子女的人際關係與同儕的互動、兄弟姐妹的互動，在性別部份有顯著差異。 五、新 移民子女的人際關係與父母的部份，在七年級部份有顯著差異。 六、新移民子女家中經濟狀況良好及富裕，其人際關係與父母部份有顯著差異。 七、新移民子女其學業成就在不同性別方面，國文及英文學習有顯著差異。 八、新移民子女其學業成就因家中子女人數不同，在八年級的英文學業成就有顯著差異。 九、新移民子女父親教育程度不同，在七年級的國文、英文、數學學業成就具顯著差異。 十、新移民子女家中經濟狀況不同在學業成就上具顯著差異。 十一、新移民子女父母管教態度對人際關係具有正向的預測作用。 十二、新移民子女父母管教態度在國文、英文、數學的學習具正向的有預測作用。 十三、新移民子女的人際關係在學業成就部份具正向的預測作用。 十四、新移民子女父母管教態度、人際關係對學業成就具正向的預測作用。 最後，本研究根據研究結果，提出各項建議，以為家長親職教育、學校教學與輔導、學校行政管理及未來研究提出建議。 關鍵字：新移民子女、父母管教態度、人際關係、學業成就 / The purpose of this research aims to study the correlations among parents discipline attitude, interpersonal relationships and academic achievement of foreign spouses’ children. This study adops the methods of literature review and questionnaire, aided with literature explore to collect information. I hope to provide references for the educational administration authorities. The conclusions obtained from this study are summarized as follows: 一、Foreign spouses’ children’s parents discipline on attitude require, have significant difference to the children of grade seventh. 二、Foreign spouses’ children’s parents' education degree is research institute and the university or junior college, there is significant difference of in parents discipline the response of the attitude. 三、Foreign spouses’ children have good rich economic situation, parents its discipline attitude in react and have difference of significant on requiring. 四、Interpersonal related to and the siblings of the same generation of foreign spouses children, there is difference of significant in the sex part. 五、Foreign spouses’ children interpersonal part related to and parents, there is difference of significant in the parts of grade seventh. 六、The economic situation is good and rich in the foreign spouses’ children's family, there is difference of significant between its interpersonal relationships and parents' part. 七、Study difference of significant in Chinese and English in different sex in eighth, their study achievements of foreign spouses’ children. 八、Their study achievement, children of foreign spouses’, children number different in house, have difference of significant in the English study achievement of grade eighth. 九、Foreign spouses’ children father's education degree is different, have difference of significant in Chinese, English, mathematics study achievement of grade seventh. 十、The economic situation has difference of significant differently on the study achievement in the foreign spouses’ children. 十一、Foreign spouses’ children parents discipline attitude have to interpersonal relationships to prediction function. 十二、Foreign spouses’ children parents discipline attitude have at Chinese, English, studies of mathematics to function of predicting. 十三、Foreign spouses’ children at study been new for interpersonal relationships of immigrant children achievement part have to prediction function. 十四、Foreign spouses’ children’s parents discipline attitude, interpersonal relationships have to study achievement to prediction function. Finally, this research proposes every suggestion according to the result of study, think parents home education, school education and guidance, school administration and research and propose the suggestion in the future. Key word: Foreign spouses’ children, parents discipline attitude, interpersonal relationships, academic achievement

The social environment has been recognised as one of the key aspects in determining the quality of life throughout the human lifespan. Human behaviour, thoughts, feelings and attitudes are socially constructed and can only be understood when viewed from the perspective of social interaction. Older individuals, who live in residential facilities experience a diminished quality of life due to factors such as loss of independence, reduced social networks, functional dependence, and contextual changes. Depression, loneliness and social isolation are an integral part of these individuals’ lives. People develop specific styles of relating, also referred to as interpersonal styles. The systems theory is used to explain the circular processes of the interaction between people. In particular the Self-Interactional Group Theory (SIGT) is proposed as theoretical framework to explore the relational qualities of older people in a residential care facility. SIGT views the interaction between people on three levels, namely the intra-personal level, the interpersonal level and the group level, which operate interdependently in the interaction between people. The interpersonal level of analysis consists of the definition of the relationship, relational qualities, motivation to engage with people to address needs and needs satisfaction as well as the circular processes of which the interaction consists of. The interactions between people always take place in an interpersonal context, embedded in broader environments. A qualitative and exploratory research design was selected to explore the relational qualities in interactions between older individuals living in a residential care facility. This study is based on data collected during a primary research study at a residential care facility for older individuals in 2013. The purpose of study was to explore the quality of life of older individuals residing in a residential care facility in Gauteng, South Africa. The data-gathering process in the primary research study involved the Mmogo-Method, a visual projective data-gathering method, the World Café method and person-centred interviews to gain insight into the participants’ life experiences at the residential care facility. For the purpose of this research, only the person-centred interviews were used for the secondary analysis of the data. Twelve purposely-selected individuals (aged 80 to 95; 3 men and 9 women) from the residential care facility participated voluntarily in the person-centered interviews, which were audio recorded. The collected data were transcribed verbatim and subjected to two different methods of analyses. First, data were analysed thematically by adopting an inductive approach. The themes identified in this first phase were next subjected to a deductive content analysis. The themes were categorised according to the relational variables in accordance with the Interactional Pattern Analysis (IPA), thereby contributing to the trustworthiness of the findings. The findings revealed that the interactions between older individuals take place in a broader environment that advocate the active participation of people. Active participation takes place both in and outside the facility and older people reported that this contributed to their quality of life. The relational qualities that could be described as enhancing interpersonal connectivity and satisfying older people’s needs for confirmation were identified as empathy, unconditional acceptance of others, confirmation and interpersonal flexibility. This research, however, highlighted relational qualities that restrained quality of life of older people, namely confusing self-presentation, ineffective expression on needs and withdrawal due to physical immobility. Needs were expressed in a very unspecific, blaming or manipulative manner, and consequently needs were not satisfied, but provoked, instead, feelings of frustration, pain and guilt. This research highlighted the predicament that older people find themselves in. Their decreased physical abilities and limited emotional repertoire to move towards others and the environment also limit their needs satisfaction. The presenting problem of social isolation can be explained by the combination of limited physical mobility and relational qualities that restrain quality of life for older people. This research study thus holds important implications for relationship-focused approaches in residential facilities for older individuals in order to empower and enable them to enhance their quality of life. Specific recommendations include interventions to assist older people to express their needs more effectively and to use opportunities in interaction to confirm them as autonomous functioning older people. / MA (Psychology), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

L’équipe de travail représente, de nos jours, une forme d’organisation du travail incontournable pour accroître la performance des entreprises. Il est maintenant largement reconnu que la composition d’une équipe de travail est susceptible d’affecter son efficacité et, plus particulièrement, la qualité des relations interpersonnelles au sein de l’équipe et la performance de ses membres. Des études se sont donc attardées à isoler certaines caractéristiques individuelles permettant d’influencer le contexte des équipes de travail. Ainsi, l’effet de la composition des équipes a été étudié sous l’angle des traits de personnalité des membres, de leurs attitudes et de leurs valeurs, ou encore en fonction des habiletés cognitives démontrées par chacun des coéquipiers. Malgré quelques invitations répétées à étudier davantage la motivation des équipes de travail et de leurs membres, peu de travaux ont porté sur la composition motivationnelle de ce contexte collectif. Dans la foulée des études portant sur les équipes de travail, on observe une tendance à ne considérer que la performance des équipes et des coéquipiers comme unique critère d’évaluation de leur efficacité. Devant les données alarmantes concernant les problèmes de santé psychologique vécus par les travailleurs, il appert qu’il est essentiel de se pencher sur les conditions nécessaires à mettre en place dans ce contexte de travail interpersonnel pour contribuer à la fois au bien-être et à la performance des coéquipiers. Avec l’utilisation du cadre d’analyse proposé par la théorie de l’autodétermination, la présente thèse vise à répondre à ces enjeux. Le premier article de la thèse propose un modèle théorique qui définit en quoi la composition d’une équipe de travail, en regard des styles de régulations individuelles des membres de l’équipe, est susceptible d’affecter les relations interpersonnelles au sein de l’équipe et d’avoir un impact sur la performance et le bien-être des membres. S’appuyant sur les mécanismes d’émergence proposés par les théories multiniveaux, ce cadre théorique suggère également que, sous certaines conditions, la composition motivationnelle d’une équipe de travail puisse entraîner la formation d’un phénomène singulier de motivation d’équipe. Les mécanismes favorisant cette émergence sont présentés dans l’article. Le second article de la thèse représente une première vérification empirique de certaines des propositions de l’article théorique. À partir d’un échantillon de 138 équipes, regroupant 680 travailleurs, il a été possible de vérifier, à partir d’analyses multiniveaux, l’impact de la composition autonome ou contrôlée d’une équipe sur la satisfaction au travail des participants. Les résultats de l’étude montrent qu’une forme de composition d’équipe de nature plus autonome est positivement reliée à la satisfaction des travailleurs. Plus encore, on observe une interaction entre la régulation autonome individuelle et la régulation autonome d’équipe quant à la satisfaction vécue au travail. Ainsi, la satisfaction au travail est plus élevée pour les participants dont le style de régulation est plus autonome et qui évoluent dans une équipe à composition motivationnelle plus autonome. Parallèlement, les résultats montrent que la composition motivationnelle plus contrôlée est négativement reliée à la satisfaction au travail. De façon générale, la présente thèse souligne la pertinence de considérer le contexte sociomotivationnel émergeant de la composition de l’équipe en regard des styles de régulations individuelles des membres qui la composent. Cette thèse permet de considérer, avec un regard nouveau, la motivation des équipes de travail et les variables de motivation à évaluer dans la formation des équipes de travail au sein de nos organisations. / These days, the work team constitutes an indispensable form of task organization that increases organizational performance. It is now widely recognized that the composition of a work team can affect the effectiveness of that team - specifically, the quality of the interpersonal relationships and performance of its members. Studies have attempted to isolate the individual characteristics liable to influence the work team context. Indeed, the effects of the composition of a work team have been studied through the personality traits of its members, their attitudes and values, as well as the cognitive ability they have each demonstrated. Despite repeated insistence on studying the motivation in and of work teams, very little work has been done on the motivational composition within this collective context. Within the large stream of research on work teams, the tendency seems to be to measure team effectiveness exclusively through team and team member performance. Faced with significant data concerning problems of psychological health among workers, it has become paramount to investigate the conditions under which work teams can contribute to both the well-being and performance of their members. Using the analytical framework proposed by Self-Determination Theory, the present thesis seeks to address these issues. The first article of the thesis proposes a theoretical model that outlines how the composition of a work team, along with the regulatory styles of each of its members, can potentially affect the interpersonal relationships of team members, as well as their performance and well-being. Using Multilevel Theory’s processes of emergence, this model also suggests that, under certain conditions, the motivational composition of a work team can bring about the unique phenomenon of team motivation. The mechanisms facilitating the emergence of this phenomenon are presented in this article. The second article of this thesis focuses on the first empirical verification of certain propositions from the theoretical article. From a sample of 138 teams comprising 680 workers, it was possible to verify, using multilevel analyses, the impact of either an autonomous or controlled motivational work team composition on the work satisfaction of participants. The results of this study show that a more autonomous work team composition is positively related to work satisfaction. Moreover, an interaction between individual autonomous regulation and the autonomous regulation of a team on satisfaction experienced at work was found. Thus, work satisfaction is higher for participants whose regulatory style is more autonomous and who are part of a team whose motivational composition is more autonomous. Conversely, the results show that a more controlled motivational composition is negatively related to work satisfaction. Overall, this thesis highlights the importance of considering the socio-motivational context that emerges from the composition of a work team, in terms of the individual regulatory styles of each of its members. This thesis allows for a fresh perspective on work team motivation, as well as the motivational variables that should be evaluated when creating work teams within organizations.

The profession of general intensive care nurse is specific in its high demands on physical, technical, ethical and mental abilities of each individual. The thesis focusses on the mental stress of the nurse, analyses potentially high-risk professional situations the nurse encounters and proposes methods for their management. The topic of mental stress and its handling has, and will, have important impact on the field. The goal of the thesis is to map the psychologically challenging situations that all of the 129 nurses approached in a smaller local medical facility considered as difficult to handle and thus have impact on their ability to cope with a demanding job. The situations are defined and evaluated using predefined hypotheses. The results of an anonymous quantitative questionnaire clearly show that the largest levels of stress and discomfort are caused by situations which are "directly connected to medical care provided by the general intensive care and accident and emergency nurse". The least discomfort is perceived in situations described as "indirectly connected to intensive care / A&E nurse duties", such as irregular working patterns and work during public holidays. The results are presented in a graphical form. We conclude by observing that unlike large-scales studies that commonly...

The study undertook to explore the notion of stuckness within interpersonal and intrapersonal relationship dynamics. Stuckness has different presentations and can pertain to an individual’s’ inability to move beyond a particular challenge, or find resolution to one or more persistent problems. Alternatively, the stymied dynamic could manifest as a person becoming consistently highly activated or triggered. This has negative ramifications, within both interpersonal and intrapersonal relationships. Therapeutically, psychological stuckness is frequently encountered, and a lack of resolution of past trauma, is speculated as being a contributory factor. A qualitative, explorative research study was conducted over a period of one year, to collect data. The research design consisted of five case studies of participants who engaged in approximately one year of therapy. Participants were seen fortnightly, by a clinical psychologist, who is also the researcher of the study. The notes taken in the therapy sessions, as well as other qualitative methods, were utilised to collect the data. The data was analysed for themes formulated by the researcher, which themes correlated with the principles of the two schools of thought applied in the study. Logotherapy and somatic experiencing are the therapeutic interventions, which were included in the research method. These approaches were utilised in an endeavour to explore their efficacy, in resolving stuckness, speculated as being due to unprocessed trauma. Participation in the study was voluntary and boundaries of ethical codes, as well as values of psychotherapeutic therapy adhered to. There was no monetary exchange for the therapy received, and no costs incurred to the participants, in the research study. The presence of a long-standing persistent problem, or issue (stuckness) that had belied resolution, was the main criteria for inclusion in the study. The research explored the possible association between unresolved trauma, as well as various types of interpersonal, and intrapersonal stuckness. Impulsivity, explosive tempers, irrationality, emotionality and bizarre acting out behaviours, are some of the presentations, that the study speculated, as being due to unprocessed traumatic energy. A contribution of this research is that there is an absence of any prior studies conducted which explores stuckness and its correlation with unresolved trauma. In addition, no other research assessing the combined, top-down, and bottom-up efficacy of the therapeutic approaches of logotherapy and somatic experiencing were sourced. Payne, et al. (2015 b) state that they could not find evidence of more than five papers which provided case studies on somatic experiencing as a trauma intervention. The number of studies undertaken on somatic experiencing in general, is also significantly limited (Changaris, 2010; Samardzic, 2010). This adds to the value, meaning and purpose of this research, as it is a unique endeavour, motivated by the researcher’s intention to add more value to individuals’ lives, especially when the presenting problem, appears to be unfathomable stuckness. In an absence of any understanding for the reasons for such stuckness, these people may experience significant distress at being stymied, within the self, or in relation to others, as well as feel at a loss for any possible recourse. This study could prompt other researchers to conduct similar investigations, not only of the combined body-based, and cognitive psychotherapuetic interventions, but also of the link between stymied interpersonal, as well as intrapersonal relationship dynamics, and trauma. The application of a mind, body and soul approach in the study, through the inclusion of logotherapy, is also relevant. In reviewing the direction of psychological fields, one can detect that the trends are towards constructs such as meditation, enlightenment, consciousness, meaning, purpose, mindfulness, presence, and spiritual identity. Individuals are seeking more enlightenment, and want to explore more of the noetic dimension, which I believe psychotherapy has to include, in order to meet the needs of an evolving society. / Psychology / D.Phil. (Psychology)

The study explores the music development, achievement and aspirations of adolescent students who participate in pre-tertiary specialised music programs. A theoretical model is developed for the study to investigate the role and influence of such training in the development of music skills, and explores relationships amongst music experience, music engagement, academic achievement, interpersonal and intrapersonal relationships, personal learning styles, and affective response to music. The data source for the study was the Young Conservatorium program (YCP) at Griffith University. Three sub-studies formed the investigation, two focussing on music development, and one, the program. The first sub-study involved 117 enrolled students, the second, 44 teachers and 112 former students, and the third, 15 case studies. Quantitative and qualitative data were obtained using surveys, tasks, tests, interviews, discussions, reflective journals, and practice logs. A large body of literature has identified a continued need for research that traces the music development of young musicians in adolescence, research that utilises both large and small sampling (particularly case studies), and is conducted at the time of training. The present study was conducted over two years, utilised a larger population than many previous studies, involved case studies, and combined contemporaneous and retrospective approaches. Research findings contribute to knowledge regarding young musicians' music training and learning in pre-tertiary specialised music programs, and the nature of pre-tertiary specialised music programs themselves: their rationale, methods of instruction, and overall effectiveness. They highlight the types of music programs and music training provisions available to young Australian musicians, and, though showing students to frequently engage in multiple music learning environments, confirm the need for individuals demonstrating above-average music ability to access specialised music tuition and opportunities, develop in a supportive learning environment, and interact with students of similar interests and abilities. Although also suggesting there to be a number of factors associated with pre-tertiary specialised music training that can deter some students, such factors tend to be non-musical in nature. In all, the study does show a trend for the families of young, above-average musicians to choose to provide for their children access to pre-tertiary specialised training, and for participants to gain from this experience. The study seeks to enhance understanding of the conditions though which music development is nurtured; it confirms the importance of exposure and opportunity, the collective efforts of the family and community, and the need for hard work and perseverance to usually be exercised by young musicians themselves. Common trends associated with the music development of young, above-average musicians pertained to music training and influences, characteristics, goals, and achievement. Early music exposure, guidance, and positive music experiences were found to be conducive to music learning. The establishment of a practice routine, increasing engagement with music, the formation of broad music preferences, demonstration of high music aptitude, musical and academic achievement, and goal-setting all characterised the experiences and marked the qualities of students sustaining their music interests in adolescence. Interpersonal support and developing intrapersonal attributes, personal learning styles and increasing affective response to music, together with developing cognitive and metacognitive skills, were generally shown to typify the music development of young, above-average musicians in adolescence.

團體合作的情境對人們工作表現的影響究竟是利抑或是弊？在以往的研究結果大多支持團體合作對人們具有不良的影響，亦即個人在團體中工作會產生偷懶的行為，而且隨著團體愈大，個人的努力程度會愈趨下降，社會心理學家稱之為「社會閒散」現象。然而 Williams 與 Karau（1991）卻發現當工作意義度高且預期到同伴的表現不佳時，團體合作的情境反而會有正面的影響，亦即此時人們會因為重視團體的表現反而較單獨一人時更加努力工作，以彌補同組夥伴表現的不足，故Williams 等人稱之為「社會彌補」現象。此兩種現象均可能發生於團體合作的情境下，但社會彌補現象對組織而言是最有利的，因此若能更進一步地瞭解，則當能有助於組織人力資源的管理及提高組織的生產力。故本研究的目的主要在於以初探的角度，來探討除 Williams 等人所提的條件外，是否存在其他可能的因素會影響社會彌補現象的發生，並再次驗證社會閒散的現象。現象對組織而言是最有利的，因此若能更進一步地瞭解，則當能有助於組織人力資源 的管理及提高組織的生產力。故本研究的目的主要在於以初探的角度，來探討除 Williams 等人所提的條件外，是否存在其他可能的因素會影響社會彌補現象的發生，並再次驗證社會閒散的現象。 本研究採實驗室實驗法，以 180 位大學部同學為受試，並將實驗情境控制在中等意義度的情況下，操弄四個自變項：（1）工作情境（團體組、個別組）；（2）知覺低能力同伴（有、無）；（3）人際親疏度（親密、疏遠）；（4）團體滲透性（高、低）。但因知覺低能力同伴、人際親疏度及團體滲性均無法在個別組中操弄，故本研究採用不完全受試者間實驗設計（2 x 2 x 2 +1），來分析各組受試在腦力激盪作業上的表現。本研究結果發現不論知覺低能力同伴與否、人際關係親疏及團體滲透性高低，團體組的受試者在從事腦力激盪這種勞心性的作業時，與個別組的受試者在工作表現上並無顯著的差異，亦即並未發現所有自變項的主要效果及交互作用，也未能證 實驗社會彌補及社會閒散現象。最後研究者針對上述的結果探討可能發生的原因，並檢討研究的限制及提出未來研究的建議。 / Most of previous research had supported the social loafing phenomenon, which suggested that people will tend to spend less effort when working collectively than working alone. However, Williams and Karau (1991) suggested people will work harder collectively than alone when they expect their co-workers to perform poorly on a meaningful task, which they named "social compensation". In thispresent study we try to eximine this two phenomenon via people work either collectively or alone on a medium meaningful task ( brainstorming task ). Subjects were 74 male and 106 female collage students. The results show that neither consciousness of low ability co-worker ( feedback, non- feedback ), group relationships ( roommate, stranger ) nor group permeability ( open, close ) is associated with subject's performance when they work collectively. In addition,the performance of collective group is the same as alone group (basic contrastgroup ). In other words, the results fail to support either social loafing orsocial compensation phenomenon. Ss' performance has no significant differenceamong nine experiment conditions. Discussion and suggestions are included.

Granovetter proposed that weak ties connect different sections of social networks, thus function as the channel for individuals to gain access to useful information unavailable at existing social circles. The first motivation of this study is to explore to what extent strength of ties theory explains information exchange behaviour of Taiwanese Facebook users. According to past research, Chinese rely on those with close guanxi, such as family members and close friends to satisfy individual’s needs. This leads us to ask if guanxi would also play an important role in satisfying individual’s needs for information. Thus the second motive of this study is to explore the significance of guanxi for Chinese Facebook users in selecting the counterpart for information exchange. It is hoped that the results of this investigation will contribute to social networks, guanxi, information behaviour research and social network sites users’ study, especially in Taiwan. Based the data collected via online survey, this study found that respondents tend to rely on strong ties as their primary sources of information. If their strong ties were not able to provide the information, respondents would rely on the connections of these strong ties, rather than the weak ties in their network, to find the information they needed. Thus strong ties are the key to information exchange in a social network.

The social environment has been recognised as one of the key aspects in determining the quality of life throughout the human lifespan. Human behaviour, thoughts, feelings and attitudes are socially constructed and can only be understood when viewed from the perspective of social interaction. Older individuals, who live in residential facilities experience a diminished quality of life due to factors such as loss of independence, reduced social networks, functional dependence, and contextual changes. Depression, loneliness and social isolation are an integral part of these individuals’ lives. People develop specific styles of relating, also referred to as interpersonal styles. The systems theory is used to explain the circular processes of the interaction between people. In particular the Self-Interactional Group Theory (SIGT) is proposed as theoretical framework to explore the relational qualities of older people in a residential care facility. SIGT views the interaction between people on three levels, namely the intra-personal level, the interpersonal level and the group level, which operate interdependently in the interaction between people. The interpersonal level of analysis consists of the definition of the relationship, relational qualities, motivation to engage with people to address needs and needs satisfaction as well as the circular processes of which the interaction consists of. The interactions between people always take place in an interpersonal context, embedded in broader environments. A qualitative and exploratory research design was selected to explore the relational qualities in interactions between older individuals living in a residential care facility. This study is based on data collected during a primary research study at a residential care facility for older individuals in 2013. The purpose of study was to explore the quality of life of older individuals residing in a residential care facility in Gauteng, South Africa. The data-gathering process in the primary research study involved the Mmogo-Method, a visual projective data-gathering method, the World Café method and person-centred interviews to gain insight into the participants’ life experiences at the residential care facility. For the purpose of this research, only the person-centred interviews were used for the secondary analysis of the data. Twelve purposely-selected individuals (aged 80 to 95; 3 men and 9 women) from the residential care facility participated voluntarily in the person-centered interviews, which were audio recorded. The collected data were transcribed verbatim and subjected to two different methods of analyses. First, data were analysed thematically by adopting an inductive approach. The themes identified in this first phase were next subjected to a deductive content analysis. The themes were categorised according to the relational variables in accordance with the Interactional Pattern Analysis (IPA), thereby contributing to the trustworthiness of the findings. The findings revealed that the interactions between older individuals take place in a broader environment that advocate the active participation of people. Active participation takes place both in and outside the facility and older people reported that this contributed to their quality of life. The relational qualities that could be described as enhancing interpersonal connectivity and satisfying older people’s needs for confirmation were identified as empathy, unconditional acceptance of others, confirmation and interpersonal flexibility. This research, however, highlighted relational qualities that restrained quality of life of older people, namely confusing self-presentation, ineffective expression on needs and withdrawal due to physical immobility. Needs were expressed in a very unspecific, blaming or manipulative manner, and consequently needs were not satisfied, but provoked, instead, feelings of frustration, pain and guilt. This research highlighted the predicament that older people find themselves in. Their decreased physical abilities and limited emotional repertoire to move towards others and the environment also limit their needs satisfaction. The presenting problem of social isolation can be explained by the combination of limited physical mobility and relational qualities that restrain quality of life for older people. This research study thus holds important implications for relationship-focused approaches in residential facilities for older individuals in order to empower and enable them to enhance their quality of life. Specific recommendations include interventions to assist older people to express their needs more effectively and to use opportunities in interaction to confirm them as autonomous functioning older people. / MA (Psychology), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014