Thesis (DPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2004. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Although fear is an integral part of normal human functioning, the onset of many anxiety
disorders can be traced back to childhood. For preventative intervention to be effective,
it is important to obtain knowledge of children's normative fears and coping mechanisms
in order for parents and caregivers to understand and contribute towards mediating
potentially stressful experiences of young children in their care.
The primary aim of the study was to obtain normative data regarding the content and
number of expressed fears, coping mechanisms and perceived efficacy in response to
these fears by a culturally diverse group of South African preschool children living in
Stellenbosch in the Western Cape Province. The secondary aim was to ascertain
whether any differences in the expressed fears, coping mechanisms and perceived
efficacy of the participants were found with respect to the independent variables of
gender, culture, socio-economic status (SES) and community comparisons with regard
to violence risk. Parental perception of children's fears, coping mechanisms and
perceived efficacy, compared to the children's own views, were also taken into account.
The participants consisted of 152 preschool children selected from the population of
children between 5 and 7 years attending a preschool or day-care setting for at least 3
months prior to testing.
The study was of an exploratory and descriptive nature. A predominantly qualitative
method of data collection was used. Measuring instruments consist of the Goodenough-
Harris Drawing Test, as well as semi-structured interviews in combination with drawings.
Parental perceptions of children's fears, coping mechanisms and perceived efficacy, as
well as participants' background information were obtained by means of a Biographical
questionnaire.
The data were analysed and coded according to categories based on emerging themes.
The results showed similarities in many ways to that of the existing body of knowledge.
The largest proportion of participants reported having animal fears, especially wild
animal fears, showing that this is a relatively common type of fear in normal children between the ages of 5 and 7. Other high-frequency fear categories that emerged are the
fears of the dark, night, bad dreams; fantasy people fears; real people fears; and fears
of physical harm. A total number of 429 fears were expressed, ranging from 1 to 9 per
participant, with an average of 2.8 fears per child for the overall sample. Parents'
perceptions of the content and number of their children's fears differed hugely from
those expressed by the children. Social/spiritual support was found to be the most
frequently utilised, as well as perceived effective coping mechanism. Similarities with
regard to the parents' perceptions were also find in this regard.
Significant differences regarding the content of expressed fears were found amongst the
groups relating to culture, SES and violence risk comparisons. Gender and SES
differences were found to be significant amongst the groups with regard to the utilisation
·oftbping mechanisms and perceived efficacy. These differences yielded few similarities
upon comparisons to the findings of previous studies.
The implications of the present study' findings for the South African context as well as
recommendations for further studies are discussed. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hoewel vrees 'n integrale deel van normale menslike funksionering is, word, wat die
etiologie van angsversteurings betref, gevind dat dit dikwels tot vreesagtigheid tydens
die kinderjare herlei kan word. Vir voorkomende intervensies om effektief te wees, is dit
belangrik om kennis aangaande kinders se normale vrese en hanteringsmeganismes in
te win, sodat ouers en versorgers 'n beter begrip kan hê en 'n bydrae kan maak deur
middel van die mediëring van potensiële stresvolle ervarings by kinders in hulle sorg.
Die primêre doel van die studie was om normatiewe data in te win aangaande die
inhoud en frekwensie van uitgesproke vrese, sowel as die hanteringsmeganismes en
waargenome doeltreffendheid in respons tot hierdie vrese by 'n kultureel diverse groep
Suid-Afrikaanse voorskoolse kinders wat woonagtig is te Stellenbosch in die Westelike
Provinsie. Die sekondêre doel van die studie was om vas te stelof daar verskille was in
die uitgesproke vrese, hanteringsmeganismes en waargenome doeltreffendheid van die
deelnemers met betrekking tot die onafhanklike veranderlikes van geslag, kultuur, sosioekonomiese
status (SES) en van gemeenskapsvergelyking op grond van geweldsrisiko.
Ouers se persepsie van kinders se vrese, hanteringsmeganismes en waargenome
doeltreffendheid is ook in ag geneem.
Die deelnemers was tussen 5 en 7 jaar oud en het bestaan uit 152 voorskoolse kinders
wat 'n voorskoolse - of dagsorgsentrumopset bygewoon het vir minstens 3 maande lank
voor toetsing plaasgevind het.
Die studie was eksploratief en beskrywend van aard. 'n Oorwegend kwalitatiewe metode
van data-insameling is gebruik. Meetinstrumente wat gebruik is, is die Goodenough-
Harris Drawing Test, sowel as semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude in kombinasie met
tekeninge. Ouers se persepsies van kinders se vrese, hanteringsmeganismes en
waargenome doeltreffendheid, sowel as agtergrondsinligting oor die deelnemers, is met
behulp van die Biografiese vraelys ingewin. Die data is geanaliseer en in kategorieë gekodifiseer op grond van die temas wat na
vore gekom het. Die resultate het in baie opsigte ooreenkomste met die bestaande
kennisbasis getoon. Die grootste proporsie van die deelnemers het vrese vir diere, veral
wilde diere, gerapporteer, wat 'n aanduiding is dat dit 'n baie algemene tipe vrees by
normale kinders tussen die ouderdomme van 5 en 7 jaar is. Ander hoë-frekwensie
vreeskategorieë wat na vore gekom het, is vrese vir die donker, nag, slegte drome;
vrese vir fantasiekarakters; vir werklike mense, en vrese vir ligaamlike skade. 'n Totale
aantal van 429 vrese is gerapporteer, wat gewissel het van 1 tot 9 per deelnemer, met 'n
gemiddelde van 2.8 vrese per deelnemer vir die totale groep. Ouers se persepsies van
die inhoud en frekwensie van hulle kinders se vrese het grootliks verskil van dié van die
kinders. Dit is gevind dat sosiale/geestelike ondersteuning die mees algemeen gebruikte
sowel as die mees effektiewe waargenome hanteringsmeganisme was. Ooreenkomste
ten opsigte hiervan is ook gevind met betrekking tot die ouers se persepsies.
Beduidende verskille ten opsigte van die inhoud van uitgesproke vrese is gevind tussen
groepe met betrekking tot kultuur, SES en gemeenskapsvergelyking op grond van
geweldsrisiko. Met betrekking tot die keuse van hanteringsmeganismes en waargenome
doeltreffendheid, is beduidende verskille ten opsigte van geslag en SES tussen groepe
gevind. Daar blyk weinig ooreenkoms met bevindinge van vorige studies in hierdie
verband te wees.
Die implikasies van die huidige studie se bevindinge ten opsigte van die Suid-Afrikaanse
konteks, sowel as aanbevelings vir verdere studies, word bespreek.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/49962 |
| Date | 04 1900 |
| Creators | Loxton, Helena Susanna |
| Contributors | Van Der Westhuysen, T. W. B, Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Psychology. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | Unknown |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 295 p. : ill. |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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