It is well documented that children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) experience difficulties in several domains of social functioning. Despite this evidence, there are very few interventions that target underlying components of social behaviour. The current study aimed to add to this literature by implementing a mindfulness-based training program for adolescents with FASD. The goals of the study were to analyze the influence of mindfulness training on several aspects of social functioning including perspective taking, emotion regulation, and social problem solving. The study used a pre-post-test design that included 10 children with FASD (ages 12- to17-years). Participants were assessed using experimental measures of social cognition at baseline and 8-week follow-up. In addition, caregivers completed measures that assessed children’s emotionality and social skills at both time points. Analyses revealed that mindfulness training may be effective for improving perspective taking skills in children with FASD. No significant treatment effects were observed for emotion regulation, social skills or social problem solving. Overall, results from this study suggest that mindfulness training is a feasible intervention for children with FASD. / Graduate / 0622

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Human Ecology-Personal Financial Planning / Martin Seay / Guided by Lazarus and Folkman’s (1984) transactional theory of stress and coping as the theoretical framework, the objective of this research was to determine the association between financial stressors and the outcomes of health, morale, and social functioning. Additionally, the impact of the individual and environment, and the appraisal and coping process were examined. A literature review was conducted based on the theoretical constructs of the individual and environment, stressful events, the appraisal and coping process, morale, social functioning, and health. The sample consisted of 811 individuals age 50 and older, evenly split between males and females, from the 2012 Health and Retirement Study (HRS). Respondents were mostly white, married, and retired. The majority had at least some college and owned a home. Respondents were mainly under the age of 69 and had a mean income of $95,753. The sample reported better than the median scores for morale, social functioning, subjective health, and objective health. Likewise, respondents’ control of finances and mastery scores were also better than the median. However, lower than median scores for financial stressors were reported. OLS regression was utilized to model morale and social functioning while cumulative logistic regression analysis was used to model subjective and objective health. In an effort to model subjective and objective health, morale, and social functioning as one unit, an ad hoc composite measure for all three outcomes was developed which was modeled utilizing cumulative logistic regression. Either full or partial support for some of the hypotheses was indicated. As it pertains to the financial stressor construct, there were some significant relationships with social functioning and morale as theoretically anticipated and hypothesized. Namely, ongoing financial strain was the most frequent variable of significance. However, as a whole, financial stressors were as not as significant under the models as were some of the other variables when modeling the outcomes. Mastery, control over one’s finances, coping behaviors, and positive or negative social support were more frequently significant in the modeling. Control variables of significance often included marital status, gender, education, employment status, income, age, and homeownership status. This research fills a gap by examining the influence of financial stressors individually and simultaneously on physical health, well-being, and social functioning based on a large dataset of secondary data robed in a theoretical framework. By understanding the relationship between financial stress and these outcomes, financial practitioners and educators can develop interventions to promote positive adaptations.

No description available.

The transition to secondary school is important for all students. For students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), who have difficulty with changes in routine (WHO, 1992), it is especially important that the transition is carefully managed. This report aims to contribute to the understanding of this process. The first study involved a systematic investigation and critique of literature on this transition with a specific focus on students with ASD. The second study comprised the development, implementation and evaluation of a transition programme for nine students with ASD. All were in their final year at mainstream primary schools in a Scottish city. The final study followed up the progress of eight of these students during their first year at secondary school. The empirical studies utilised a range of process and outcomes measures, including questionnaires, semi-structured interviews and discussion activities. There was a paucity of scholarly literature on the transition of students with ASD indicating the need for further research. The programme received positive student and parent evaluations and there was some evidence of impact using outcome measures. Feelings of anxiety mixed with excitement were associated with the transition. Students reported higher than normal anxiety levels before and after transfer, although there was evidence of a slight reduction over this period. Students and parents provided a positive evaluation of the students’ social functioning in secondary school, in contrast to the mixed perspective of secondary school staff. Findings are discussed with reference to the literature. Limitations of the present research are considered. Finally, implications for practice and possible areas for future research are proposed.

<p>Many survivors of pediatric brain tumors and leukemia will experience cognitive, academic, and social difficulties that will significantly impact their quality of life. Of these, the least is known about the nature and range of survivors' social difficulties. Using a model developed for children with traumatic brain injury, the objective of the current study was to evaluate the neurocognitive and social-cognitive skills that may determine social outcomes in survivors of pediatric brain tumors and leukemia. A sample of survivors of childhood cancer aged 8 to 16 (n = 19) was compared to two control groups - children with ADHD (n = 10) and typically-developing children (n = 41) - on measures of neurocognitive skills, social-cognitive skills, and social experience. Results revealed that survivors demonstrated significant deficits in all domains as compared to typically-developing children. Evaluation of the model revealed that neurocognitive and social-cognitive skills were significant predictors of social experience. More specifically, attention problems and facial expression recognition were significant individual predictors. Survivors of pediatric cancer may experience deficits in social functioning that will impact their quality of life. Further assessment of the skills that influence social outcomes will be particularly important as a means for developing evidence-based interventions.</p> / Dissertation

ADHD is a well researched disorder in children and is associated with impairments in social functioning (Barkley, 2006). However, little is known about the etiology of social difficulties. An emerging body of literature is beginning to address the possible role social cognition may share in the social functioning outcomes in children with ADHD (Buitelaar et al., 1999; Corbett & Glidden, 2000; DaFonseca et al., 2009; Rapport et al., 2002; Sibley et al., 2010; Yuill & Lyon, 2007). Yet, research focusing on social cognition deficits in ADHD that accounts for subtype differences is limited. Some studies evaluated social cognition in CT children only (Corbett & Glidden, 2000; DaFonseca et al., 2009; Rapport et al., 2002) while other research utilized behavior ratings or sociometric studies (Matthys et al., 1999; Zentall et al., 2001). Another body of literature has examined the impact executive functioning deficits may have on social functioning (Barkley, 1997; Charman et al., 2001; Chhabildas et al., 2001). The purpose of the current study was to identify factors that predict social functioning impairments in children with ADHD as well as differentiate between ADHD subtypes. Participants included 89 youth with ages ranging from 6 to 16 years (M = 10.19, SD = 2.76). Forty-nine children met the diagnostic criteria for ADHD, Predominantly Inattentive Subtype (PI) and 40 for ADHD, Combined Type (CT). Results indicated CT youth demonstrated more aggressive and rule-breaking behavior than PI youth. Measures of social cognition did not predict ADHD subtype, and when compared to a normative sample, participants performed in the average range on affect recognition and theory of mind tasks. Performance-based measures of executive functioning largely associated with inattention (i.e., vigilance, processing speed, and working memory) best predicted subtype differences with CT youth being more impaired. Executive functioning, not social cognition, was predictive of social maladjustment in CT and PI youth. For CT youth, deficits in emotion control, shift, and initiate were related to anxiety, aggressive behavior, and depressed mood. Similarly, emotion control and shift were predictors of aggressive behavior, anxiety, and depressed mood in PI youth with deficits in self-monitoring, initiate, and inhibit as secondary predictors. / text

No description available.

Empathy is an essential prerequisite for the development and maintenance of close interpersonal relationships. Given that older adults are particularly vulnerable to the negative consequences of loneliness and social isolation, it is surprising that few studies have assessed empathy in this group. The current programme of research addressed this gap in the literature by testing competing predictions derived from Socioemotional Selectivity Theory and the Ageing-Brain Model for age-related sparing and impairment of empathy, respectively. Study 1 compared young (N = 80) and older (N = 49) adults?? self-reported levels of cognitive and affective empathy, and engagement in social activities. It was found that although affective empathy is spared, cognitive empathy is subject to age-related decline, and this decline mediates reductions in social participation. These data therefore affirmed the importance of further investigation into the nature, causes and potential consequences of age-related differences in empathy. Since disinhibition is one mechanism contributing to difficulty taking the perspective of another, and is known to increase with age, in Study 2, behavioural measures sensitive to inhibitory failure and to cognitive empathy were administered to young (N = 36) and older (N = 33) adults. One of the measures of cognitive empathy directly manipulated inhibitory demands, involving either high or low levels of self-perspective inhibition. The results indicated that older adults were selectively impaired on the high-inhibition condition, with cognitive disinhibition mediating this association. Study 2 therefore provided important evidence relating to one potential mechanism that contributes to age-related difficulties in perspective-taking. Studies 3 and 4 provided the first behavioural assessments of age-related differences in affective empathy by using electromyography to index facial expression mimicry. Study 3 found that young (N = 35) and older (N = 35) adults?? demonstrate comparable mimicry of anger, but older adults?? initial (i.e., implicit) reactions were associated with reduced anger recognition. Thus, to test the possibility that despite explicit recognition difficulties, implicit processing of facial expressions may be preserved in older adulthood, Study 4 compared young (N = 46) and older (N = 40) adults?? mimicry responses to subliminally presented angry and happy facial expressions. As predicted, the two groups demonstrated commensurate subconscious mimicry of these expressions. Taken together, these studies indicate that separate components of empathy are differentially affected by healthy adult ageing. Implications for competing perspectives of socioemotional functioning in older adulthood are discussed.

Empathy is an essential prerequisite for the development and maintenance of close interpersonal relationships. Given that older adults are particularly vulnerable to the negative consequences of loneliness and social isolation, it is surprising that few studies have assessed empathy in this group. The current programme of research addressed this gap in the literature by testing competing predictions derived from Socioemotional Selectivity Theory and the Ageing-Brain Model for age-related sparing and impairment of empathy, respectively. Study 1 compared young (N = 80) and older (N = 49) adults?? self-reported levels of cognitive and affective empathy, and engagement in social activities. It was found that although affective empathy is spared, cognitive empathy is subject to age-related decline, and this decline mediates reductions in social participation. These data therefore affirmed the importance of further investigation into the nature, causes and potential consequences of age-related differences in empathy. Since disinhibition is one mechanism contributing to difficulty taking the perspective of another, and is known to increase with age, in Study 2, behavioural measures sensitive to inhibitory failure and to cognitive empathy were administered to young (N = 36) and older (N = 33) adults. One of the measures of cognitive empathy directly manipulated inhibitory demands, involving either high or low levels of self-perspective inhibition. The results indicated that older adults were selectively impaired on the high-inhibition condition, with cognitive disinhibition mediating this association. Study 2 therefore provided important evidence relating to one potential mechanism that contributes to age-related difficulties in perspective-taking. Studies 3 and 4 provided the first behavioural assessments of age-related differences in affective empathy by using electromyography to index facial expression mimicry. Study 3 found that young (N = 35) and older (N = 35) adults?? demonstrate comparable mimicry of anger, but older adults?? initial (i.e., implicit) reactions were associated with reduced anger recognition. Thus, to test the possibility that despite explicit recognition difficulties, implicit processing of facial expressions may be preserved in older adulthood, Study 4 compared young (N = 46) and older (N = 40) adults?? mimicry responses to subliminally presented angry and happy facial expressions. As predicted, the two groups demonstrated commensurate subconscious mimicry of these expressions. Taken together, these studies indicate that separate components of empathy are differentially affected by healthy adult ageing. Implications for competing perspectives of socioemotional functioning in older adulthood are discussed.

The SASII which is a measure of social axioms, a concept based on an understanding of the core construct of general beliefs, was investigated in this study. The objective was to determine whether the SASII model fits the data collected in a South African context and whether it measures the same social axiom constructs of the a priori five-factor model. Secondly, the study tested the SASII for configural, metric, scalar and full invariance. Thirdly, social axioms' nomological network was investigated by relying on personality factors to validate social axioms. This study also tested the linkages between social axioms and the Big-Five personality factors. Finally, social axioms' ability to predict personality across cultures was investigated. Beliefs are social in nature and are universally shared amongst individuals within cultures. Shared beliefs represent how people organise their world and make sense of and interpret social realities. Values are widely used in the conceptualisation of cultures as this allows comparisons of the value profiles of individuals socialised into different cultures. Personality represent self-views and is related to culture. Establishing the relationship between social axioms and the constructs of personality and values is an important area for research and intervention. The first article on generalised beliefs, often referred to as social axioms, was published in 2002. It described the axiomatic nature of beliefs based on truth assumptions, personal experience and socialisation. The article sparked a global research interest on social axioms designed to evaluate the universality and meaning of the structure of beliefs across cultures. This interest has resulted in an array of articles, chapters and even a book on the subject. South Africa is ideally positioned for cross-cultural research because of its 11 official languages, diversity in educational levels and unemployment rates, inequality and a divided society due to the historical legacy of apartheid. Language differences create specific environments, defined in terms of culture, race, ethnic grouping, values and attitudes. Globalisation has accelerated the rate of intercultural contact, guiding research attempts to comprehensively describe the emerging cross-cultural dynamics. Recent research findings indicate that South Africans exhibit extreme social axiom scores that are similar to trends in other developing countries. Social axioms research also seeks to assess overlap with other constructs such as values and personality. Efforts to refine social axioms and to expand their nomological network are therefore the main focus of this study. This study aims to contribute towards previous research efforts to improve the validity and expand the nomological network of social axioms through assessing the relationship between generalised beliefs, namely social axioms (labelled Social Cynicism, Reward for Application, Social Complexity, Fate Control and Religiosity) and personality factors (i.e., Extraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Neuroticism and Intellect) in the South African context. A cross-sectional survey design was used to collect data regarding these constructs as experienced by students and their family members and friends. A convenience sample (N = 1567) of university students and their family members and friends participated in this study. The measuring instruments used were the Social Axioms Survey (SASII), Mini-International Personality Item Pool (Mini-IPIP) and a biographical questionnaire. The results of Study 1 indicated that the SASII five factor structure exhibited an unacceptable model fit within the South African context when conducting a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). However, as an exploratory step, and by creating a parsimonious model, the improved CFA of the SASII presented a fit that improved on previous research findings, suggesting a reasonable fit, taking into account the complexity of the SASII model. Study 2 assessed the measurement invariance (configural, metric, and scalar invariance) of the five factor structure of the SASII parsimonious model across male and female groups in a South African sample. Evidence was obtained through multi-group confirmatory factor analyses, which supported a baseline configural model. This finding indicated that the number of factors and factor structure of the SASII parsimonious model are considered equivalent across male and female groups. Proof for partial metric invariance was found and scalar invariance could not be achieved. Results thus indicated that male and female respondents did not exhibit the same understanding of certain latent constructs and that some items did not have the same meaning for both groups. Males and females also differed in terms of their levels of trust on the SASII's scales of Social Cynicism, Social Complexity and Religiosity. Because scalar invariance could not be achieved, comparisons of the SASII five factors' means across groups could not be computed. This study provided support for previous research findings and indicated that some items and latent factors of the SASII need refinement. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2017. / Human Resource Management / PhD / Unrestricted