Thesis (MEdPsych (Educational Psychology)--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / The study investigated the effect of using projective narratives and drawings that depict diminished
fear, on the anxiety levels of a group of children living in children’s homes, by means of a mixed
methodology. The sample consisted of 30 middle childhood children (mean age = 9.60 years, SD =
1.13) from three children’s homes in the Western Cape. Drawings were used to elicit content of fear or
anxiety (anxiety evoking drawing/bangmaaktekening) and proposed coping (anxiety lessening
drawing/bangwegvattekening). After completing the anxiety provoking drawing, participants in the
experimental group were asked to tell a story to other children with a similar fear to lessen/take that
fear away (projective narrative). The Spence Childhood Anxiety Scale (SCAS) was completed after
each drawing, and drawings evaluated through the use of anxiety scales, to measure changes in anxiety
levels according to the concept of triangulation.
The categories ghosts, snakes, and people were found to be the most prevalent content of fear from
anxiety provoking drawings, and undifferentiated fears were also common within this population.
Control of anxiety from anxiety lessening drawings indicated a definite prevalence of emotion focused
(secondary) coping strategies, specifically religious solace. The content of projective narratives echoed
this finding, although proposed solutions were more differentiated. Ownership of projections also
occurred.
The experimental effect was not significant, although mean anxiety levels were considerably lower in
the drawings in comparison with that of the SCAS. Drawings are thus seen as an effective, nonthreatening
technique to study anxiety phenomena. A comparison of the mean item scores of the SCAS
subscales indicated that symptoms of separation anxiety, generalised anxiety disorder, and obsessivecompulsive
anxiety disorder were prevalent among this group of children in children’s homes.
A clear distinction was found between markers of state- and trait-anxiety through the qualitative
analysis of the drawings, with anxiety lessening drawings showing definite diminished state-anxiety,
although more established markers of trait-anxiety did not necessarily change. There are also
indications that transference of activated negative emotional stimuli occurred on an unconscious level
between the two drawings. Introducing the combination of projective narratives in the intervention
stage of the study appeared to facilitate learning or the experience of observed positive affect in anxiety
lessened drawings.
Future research would benefit from including a normative group to establish more clear markers of
state- and trait-anxiety in drawings, and by the use of a bigger sample to investigate factor loadings of
the SCAS among children in children’s homes. The high prevalence of anxiety symptoms in this
population emphasises their status as a vulnerable population, and the need for possible group
intervention – specifically the psycho-education of effective coping strategies for anxiety.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/3047 |
| Date | 12 1900 |
| Creators | Olivier, Andries J. |
| Contributors | Perold, M. D., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Educational Psychology. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | Afrikaans |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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