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L’intégration identitaire, la perception de compatibilité, de complémentarité et de cohérence entre les différentes identités d’un individu, est associée à un plus grand ajustement psychologique. Selon le modèle cognitif développemental de l’intégration des identités sociales (MCDIIS), la création de liens cognitifs entre les identités et le regroupement de celles-ci dans des identités supraordinales seraient les principaux mécanismes derrière l’intégration. Le présent programme de recherche propose de définir et d’investiguer empiriquement les processus cognitifs derrière l’intégration identitaire. Suivant les modèles connexionnistes et bayésiens de la cognition, il est proposé que l’apprentissage d’associations et de catégories explique les processus d’intégration identitaire. En effet, selon les modèles connexionnistes, la perception de similarités entre les identités et l’exposition simultanée à celles-ci favorise la création de liens cognitifs. De plus, les modèles bayésiens de la catégorisation suggèrent que les représentations des identités supraordinales se complexifient avec le temps et l'expérience, passant d'une représentation prototypique à une représentation par exemplaires. Les représentations par exemplaires étant plus flexibles, celles-ci devraient être associées à plus d'intégration. Trois articles destinés à tester ces hypothèses sont présentés. Le premier article vise à déterminer si des liens cognitifs sont établis entre les identités intégrées. Le second article vise à déterminer la plausibilité des mécanismes cognitifs de façon corrélationnelle. Le troisième et dernier article étudie le rôle des représentations de l'identité de l'exogroupe et des identités supraordinales dans l'intégration. Dans l'ensemble, les résultats des études présentées dans les articles suggèrent que les mécanismes proposés par le MCDIIS sont plausibles. / Identity integration, the perception of compatibility, complementarity and coherence between an individual's different identities, is associated with greater psychological adjustment. According to the Cognitive Developmental Model of Social Identity Integration (CDMSII), the creation of cognitive links between identities and the grouping of identities into supraordinal identities are the main mechanisms behind integration. The present research programme proposes to define and empirically investigate the cognitive processes behind identity integration. Following connectionist and Bayesian models of cognition, it is proposed that association and category learning explain identity integration processes. Indeed, according to connectionist models, the perception of similarities between identities and the simultaneous exposure to them promotes the creation of cognitive links. Moreover, Bayesian models of categorization suggest that the representation of supraordinal identities become more complex with time and experience, going from a prototypîcal representation to a representation by exemplars. As representations by exemplars are more flexible, they should be associated with more integration. Three papers designed to test these hypotheses are presented. The first paper investigates whether cognitive links are established between integrated identities. The second paper investigates the plausibility of cognitive mechanisms in a correlational manner. The third and final paper examines the role of representations of exogroup identity and supraordinal identities in integration. Overall, the results of the studies presented in the papers suggest that the mechanisms proposed by the CDMSII are plausible.

In a study of psychological well-being, the researcher attempted to address the challenge of preventing mental illness and promoting mental health using an educational psychological perspective based on Unisa's Relations Theory. According to Relations Theory, humans are understood by the relationships they form. The intra-psychic interaction of the components of the intra-psychic structure (I/ego, self, identity and self-concept) is responsible for people's behaviour, with the essences (attachment of meaning, involvement, experience and self-actualising) and the prerequisites (the forming of relations , the life-world and climate) forming the basis of the structure. The researcher developed and administered a questionnaire on psychological well-being and conducted interviews, and on the basis of the findings reports that psychological well-being from an educational psychological perspective consists of a healthy and positive ego and self, clearly defined identities, positive thoughts and feelings, involvement in the life world, a positive and realistic self-concept and constructive self-talk, and self-realisation. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Guidance and Counselling)

Those learners who generally struggle to relate to their teachers and peers, also appear to struggle with their parents. This research study is thus an investigation into the influence of the parent-child relationship on the self-concept of the Southern Sotho child. A literature study was done and the major dimensions of the self-concept were identified, namely, the physical self, the academic self, the social self, the value self, the family self and the psychic self. A questionnaire was developed to measure the self-concept of the child. Another questionnaire was used to measure the parent-child relationship. The results of the empirical investigation indicated that the parent-child relationship does have an influence on the self-concept of the Southern Sotho child, although certain contradictions to other research findings emerged. Problematic aspects of the research were discussed and recommendations for further research were made. / Educational Studies / M.Ed. (Guidance and Counseling)

The aim of this research was to determine how Gestalt Therapy could be utilised to re-write life script. Transactional Analysis terminology was translated into Gestalt Therapy, especially the terms life script, life position and re-writing in the literature study. Gestalt Therapy concepts of importance for the research were also discussed in the literature study. An empirical study was conducted, involving one respondent, for whom Gestalt Therapy sessions were provided with the aim of determining how life script could be re-written through such intervention. Gestalt Therapy concepts and life script concepts were identified during the therapy process. A re-written life script was formulated by the researcher corresponding with the level of functioning of the respondent during therapy and in relation to the respondent's life position. The researcher deducts from the entire study, but especially from the empirical study that life script can be re-written by means of utilising Gestalt Therapy. / Social Work / M. Diac. (Play Therapy)

The purpose of this study was to develop guidelines to enable the members of acne sufferers' support networks to become better sources of practical, emotional and social support. A literature study and an empirical investigation were done to investigate which factors could enable members of the acne sufferer’s support network to become better sources of support. A questionnaire was developed as an aid to identify the perceptions and emotions of acne sufferers, which was published on a website, (www.acnediaries.co.za) specifically designed for this purpose. Two semi-structured interviews with acne sufferers were also done to enrich the findings. Results of the study identified several guidelines for parents, teachers, siblings, friends and boyfriends or girlfriends of acne sufferers to enable them to give support to teenagers suffering from acne. / Further Teacher Education / M. Ed. (Guidance and Counselling)

The aim of this research was to explore career information learners with visual impairment acquire from school to enable them develop vocational self-concept and career decision-making self-efficacy. It explored role of guidance and counselling in preparing learners for world of work from primary to university levels of education. The study adopted Career Development and Self-efficacy Theories as bases of exploration. Two standardized tools were used to assess development of these aspects. Pilot study was conducted to validate instruments, testing reliability for applicability with subjects in Kenya. Data was analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences for quantitative and Atlas Ti to code qualitative data. The major finding indicated a linear relationship between aspects implying that learners experienced increased development as they progressed in education. Other findings are explained in text. The findings affirmed need for comprehensive career guidance and counselling for learners with disabilities, culminating to suggested vocational development model. / Furthur Teacher Education / D. Ed. (Inclusive Education)

How African individuals perceive the family life cycle, is the topic of this research. This qualitative study was facilitated with two individuals. Constructivism was used to explore how individuals create their reality. The Person-Centred Approach was studied to understand the importance of the Self- concept in the individual, and the role played by perceptions created in an ever-changing environment. Systems theory helped understand the interaction of family members as a system (family), especially the creation of stability after a state of disequilibrium – in this case, transitions between stages of the life cycle. Only with one respondent were some differences identified compared to the Western view of the life cycle. It was thus concluded that the family life cycle can be used as a guideline during therapy, regarding difficult transitions people (including African people) have to make, for therapists working from both the Person-Centred Approach and the systems perspective. / Social Work / (M.A. (Social Work (Mental Health))