This study firstly explored whether individuals can identify character strengths (Peterson & Seligman, 2004) depicted by characters in positive psychology movies. Furthermore, the study investigated whether their existing character strengths and well-being are augmented or developed through viewing these films. A mixed method design exploratory qualitative approach with a phenomenological design was followed where quantitative data were obtained with a two-group pre- and post-testing design with a retention test. Participants were assigned to an experimental (n=15, mean age= 28.67, SD age = 8.79) and control group (n=15, mean age = 25.67, SD age = 9.28). A self-developed strength questionnaire and five standardized scales, namely Mental Health Continuum – Short Form (MHC-SF) (Keyes, 2006); the General Psychological Well-being Scale (GPWS) (Khumalo, Temane, & Wissing, 2010); the Subjective Happiness Scale (Lyubomirsky, 2008); Coping Self-Efficacy Scale (CSE) (Chesney, Neilands, Chambers, Taylor, & Folkman, 2006) and the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) (Kroenke & Spitzer, 2002), were administered to measure psychological well-being. Qualitative data were obtained through focus groups and questionnaires that were completed after the viewing of each film. Qualitative results suggest that participants were able to identify 22 of the 24 character strengths (Peterson & Seligman, 2004) as depicted by characters in the movies. Furthermore, participants were able to relate to the characters and report how they use the depicted strengths in their own lives. ANCOVA‘s revealed a medium increase (Cohen‘s d- value = 0.47 - 0.74) in the strengths: open-mindedness, zest, kindness, leadership and modesty immediately after the intervention and a large increase (Cohen‘s d-value = 0.9) in humour immediately and a month after the intervention. A medium to large (Cohen‘s d = 0.45 - 0.87) decrease was found on the strengths perspective and forgiveness immediately after the intervention, and in authenticity, love; appreciation of beauty and excellence, gratitude and hope a month after the intervention. Social intelligence showed a decrease (Cohen‘s d-value = 0.46; 0.51) immediately and a month after the intervention. A medium increase (Cohen‘s d-value = 0.53 - 0.56) in general well-being and emotional well-being was found a month after intervention, while general coping efficacy and coping via support from friends and family showed this increase (Cohen‘s d-value = 0.53; 0.56) immediately after the intervention in the experimental group. A contradictory finding was, that social well-being showed a medium (Cohen‘s d-value = 0.72) decrease immediately after the intervention. Suggestions for further research include establishing preferable movies before intervention, the use of a standardized strength scale and another experimental group, with the absence of focus groups, so as to determine a more accurate effect of films / Thesis (MA (Clinical Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.

Previous research has shown that humankind is not becoming happier, and that in fact symptoms of depression continue to rise, despite the belief of many that happiness is the ultimate purpose of human life. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether happiness can be taught through an intervention programme aimed at increasing levels of subjective wellbeing as measured by scales of self-reported happiness and depression. Participants attending a course based on research into Positive Psychology that included the practice of multiple validated interventions made up the experimental group (N=33), and participants in other community education courses made up the control group (N=41). A pre-intervention, post-intervention and follow-up design was used, with participants completing sets of questionnaires designed to test levels of happiness and depression, and additional questionnaires capturing demographic information and signature character strengths. The results of this study suggested that the intervention had a positive effect on increasing happiness and reducing symptoms of depression. The non-randomised groups resulted in a more depressed experimental than control group prior to the intervention. Generally speaking, it was not true that any subgroup benefited more from the intervention than others, nor were happier or more depressed than others. This study appears to support earlier research that found that subjective wellbeing could be increased through education and volitional behaviour. Implications for the findings are discussed in relation to group education and therapeutic intervention both for increasing happiness as well as reducing symptoms of depression.

The energy levels, lifetimes, oscillator strengths, and transition probabilities of N II lines have been reported in this thesis. We have used the Hartree-Fock (HF) and Multiconfiguration Hartree-Fock (MCHF) methods in our calculations. The relativistic operators mass correction, one-body Darwin term, spin-orbit interaction, and spin-other-orbit have been included in the Breit-Pauli Hamiltonian in our calculations of atomic parameters of singly-ionized nitrogen. We considered 70 levels of the 2s2 2p2, 2s2 2p3, 2s2 2p 3p, 2s2 2p 3s, 2s2 2p 4p, 2s2 2p 3d, 2s2 2p 4s, and 2s2 2p 4d configurations of N II. Our results have been compared with other available calculations and measurements, and generally a good agreement is found.

No description available.

Doctor Educationis / Independent Radio and Appliance retailers face very strong competition from chain groups, discounters and hypermarkets. These organisations rely on bulk-buying and negotiated deals to elicit favourable terms from suppl iers. Due to the volume of their turnover they can afford to work on lower profi t margins than the independent operator. Large marketing organisations also benefit from economi es of seal e in adverti si ng and promoti ons. In short the 1arge groups have a di fferenti al advantage over the small er i ndependents i n that thei r cost of sales and overhead structure is generally lower. The purpose of this study is to develop a marketing strategy for independent radio and appliance retailers which will enable them to survive, grow and trade profitably under current highly competitive conditions.

Carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) is widely used in the industrial world due to its high strength-to-weight ratio. Aerospace manufacturers incorporate CFRP into the main structure of their flight vehicles. The extensive use of CFRP sparks the interest in efficient methods for manufacturing and repair. One of the most used repair methods is the bonded joint method, which includes different types of joints, e.g. scarf joint, step joint and single-lap joint. Scarf joint is generally selected for repair method due to its derived outcome. To improve strength of the bonded joint, the mating adherend surfaces are usually treated before being bonded. This treatment aims to enhance the mechanical interlocking and absorption properties between adhesive and adherend. Manual or electrical sanding is a standard method currently used in the industry. Recently, laser treatment is of high interest due to its potential for an automated process and consistent results. Laser treatment is usually preformed uniformly across the CFRP, regardless of the stacking sequence. This process may introduce local enhancement in some ply orientations, but also damage in other plies. This work investigates the effect of local (ply-specific) treatment on the scarf joint strength of CFRP. Effects of laser fluence (energy density) on treated ply were evaluated using surface characterization methods, viz. optical microscopy, profilometry and sessile drop technique. Finally, tensile test was performed on CFRP scarf joint. Results show that ply-specific laser treatment improves the tensile strength of CFRP scarf joint. The treatment offers localized enhancement to the surface properties and bonding strength, which results in overall tensile strength improvement.

Bullying is well known to have harmful effects on child development and mental health, so understanding the underlying factors involved in bullying behaviour is critical (World Health Organization, 2008). In the present study, mental health, parenting challenges, and children’s individual strengths were explored across different types of bullying involvement. In this cross- sectional study involving 91 children between the ages of four to 11 receiving services at a mental health agency, the results indicated significant differences on dependent variables across the four different bullying involvement groups: bully, victim, bully-victim, and non-involved. Children in the bully group were more likely to be experiencing externalizing behaviours and have fewer individual strengths whereas children in the victim group were more likely to be experiencing difficulties with internalizing behaviours and have fewer individual strengths. Children in the bully-victim group were more likely to be displaying externalizing behaviours, come from homes experiencing parenting difficulties, and have fewer individual strengths. In contrast, children who were non-involved in bullying were more likely to have greater individual strengths including stronger peer relations, greater self-expression, able to successfully adapt to change, and have stronger family units. The results of this study highlight the different behaviour patterns across the types of bullying involvement as well as shed light onto the needs and strengths of children accessing mental health services from a community agency.

No description available.

As the focal point of the school, the principal’s leadership is integral to its effective functioning. This study used a self-assessment to analyze the self-identified strengths of principals in Islamic schools within the five most populated states in the United States (which also have the largest number of mosques) and the commonalities in those strengths based on (a) the enrollment of the school; (b) year school was established; (c) the gender of the principal; (d) the principal’s professional preparation, e.g., degree in education vs. other fields and years of experience; and (e) geographic location. While only a small amount of statistical significance was evident (p < .05) in exploring the differences between groups, several conclusions were made. In analyzing the strengths of the principals, the least selected strength was Significance and the most was Analytical, which had the highest proportion of affirmatively responding principals as compared to any of the other strengths. Additionally, the relationship between principal strength and school enrollment resulted in for the strengths of Command and Developer at a significance level that was less stringent than the p = .002 dictated by the study; principals at schools that have a student enrollment of 151-200 ranked Command higher as compared to principals in schools of other sizes, whereas those with an enrollment of 150 or fewer students ranked Developer as a more preferred strength. In addressing principal strengths and gender, the results showcased males ranking Self-assuredness as their preferred trait more frequently than their female counterparts, who preferred Futuristic. Furthermore, the relationship of principal strengths and area of education resulted in the strengths of Activator, Maximizer, and Positivity as being iv ranked higher for principals who had a degree in education at the p = .05 level. The strengths of Empathy, Harmony, and Responsibility (p < .05) and Deliberative (p < .01) were ranked higher by principals who did not have a degree in education. Also, based on the average rankings of principal strengths, Achiever indicated the strongest association for principals with a degree in education and Deliberative for principals who did not. The results of the mean ranking of the strengths among principals of differing years of experience resulted in the ranking of Focus and Includer at higher levels for principals with 3-6 years of experience (p < .01). Furthermore, the average rankings showcased the strength of Achiever as the most strongly rated for principals with less than 3 years of experience, Focus for principals with 3-6 years of experience, and Analytical for principals with more than 6 years. Examination of principal strengths based on geographic location was conducted descriptively due to small group sizes. Among the five states of focus, average rankings of strengths indicated that Deliberative was the most preferred among California principals, Includer among Florida principals, Activator among Illinois respondents, Command among New York principals, and Analytical in Texas.

The most recent revision of the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act (IDEA) mandates that students’ strengths be considered in the transition planning process for students with disabilities; however, there is evidence that individuals’ strengths are not being utilized to support their transition to adulthood (Shogren & Plotner, 2012; Landmark & Zhang, 2012). Strengths refer to all of an individual’s assets, both personal and contextual, that improve that individual’s ability to function (Davis et al., 2007; McCammon, 2012). Parents have unique perspectives of their sons’ and daughters’ strengths (Carter, Brock, & Trainor, 2014) and have the potential to influence the transition planning process in a positive way. This study used qualitative methods to understand how parents describe their son or daughter’s strengths, both personal and contextual, in relation to transition planning. Findings indicated that parents identify equal amounts of personal and contextual strengths for their children. However, strengths were described as being context dependent; the trait or resource described as an asset in one aspect of transitioning to adult life was also described as a barrier to another aspect. These findings highlighted the value of including parents in the transition planning process and that students have many strengths available for consideration as they enter adult life.