The aim of this research study is to assess the ability of the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TpB) to explain people’s intentions to interact interracially on a social level. It aims to understand the influence of students’ attitudes, perceptions of social norms and efficacy on these intentions. A questionnaire survey was administered to 226 students (37% White, 31% Black African, 27% Asian and 4% Coloured). The questionnaire was based on the standard format of the Theory of Planned Behaviour (Ajzen, 1991). The TpB model explained 35% of the variability in intention, providing support for its predictive power. The attitude, subjective norm and perceived behavioural control components of the model had good predictive ability demonstrating the usefulness of the model as a means to explain and predict intention to mix interracially. The results indicated that attitudes to mixing was the most powerful predictor of intention to mix inter-racially followed by perceived ability to effect this behaviour. Perception of social norms, while also statistically significant, was the least important factor. The findings suggest that the major obstacles to inter-racial interaction are intergroup attitudes and perceived inability to make such contacts.

Although access to South African universities has increased, academic persistence among undergraduate students remains low. Three cross-sectional studies were conducted to investigate the underlying psychosocial and social identity factors that influence academic persistence among undergraduate students at a South African university. Studies 1, 2, and 3 demonstrated that academic adjustment, academic motivation and identification with the academic department are prominent factors in predicting academic persistence. Studies 1 and 2 supported the hypothesis that students who highly identified with the university/academic department were more likely to adjust to the university environment and to be academically motivated and academically persistent. Study 3 confirmed that students who highly identified with the academic department were more likely to adjust to the university environment and to persist academically. The studies also revealed that the relationship between identification with the university/academic department and academic persistence via academic adjustment and academic motivation was conditional on whether students were from historically underrepresented or overrepresented racial groups (Studies 1 and 2) and whether students were first-generation or continuing-generation students (Study 3). These results underscore the importance of psychosocial and social identity factors on academic persistence among undergraduate students. / Psychology / D. Phil (Psychology)