Conformity behavior of Afrikaans- and English-speaking adolescents in South Africa.

The conformity behaviors of 50 Afrikaans- and 48 English-speaking early adolescents (ages 12 to 14 years) were measured by a modified Asch experiment and then compared. The effects of sex, self-concept (measured by the Tennessee Self-Concept Scale) and certain personality factors (measured by the High School Personality Questionnaire) were also examined. No significant differences between the conformity scores of the two groups were found, but boys and girls significantly differed with regard to their conformity scores. Although subjects with low self-concept scores did not have higher conformity scores than those with high self-concept scores, a significant difference between the self-concept scores of Afrikaans- and English-speaking adolescents was demonstrated. Low but significant correlations were found between personality factors (A, J, and Q2) and conformity scores.     

Tobacco Use Trends among Adolescents and Adults in South Africa

The purpose of this review is to synthesize the national prevalence data from eight surveys on tobacco use in South Africa over the past 13 years. Results from the national studies indicate that tobacco use among adults is on the decline in South Africa. The same applies to daily smoking and daily smokeless tobacco use among adolescents. However, onset of tobacco use and the prevalence of current smoking among adolescents seem not to have changed over the years. While exposure to tobacco smoke outside the home decreased from 56.5% in 1999 to 36.2% in 2002 among adolescents, exposure to tobacco smoke inside the home increased from 41.7% in 1999 to 73.3% in 2002. This change may be attributed to the introduction of the tobacco control act that from 2000 banned smoking in public places. The decline of overall daily smoking in South Africa may be attributed to the tobacco control strategy based on 1) rapidly increasing excise taxes on tobacco, and (2) comprehensive legislation, of which the most important features are banning all tobacco advertising and sponsorship, and prohibition of smoking in public and work places.     

Motivation for Solitude: A Cross-Cultural Examination of Adolescents from Collectivist and Individualist Cultures in South Africa

Solitude during adolescence is a potentially double edged sword. Involuntary (non-self-determined solitude) is associated with loneliness, which is known to predict many forms of psychological ill-being. In contrast, freely chosen (self-determined solitude) is associated with healthy developmental outcomes. It is possible that cultural attitudes towards solitude could influence the way adolescents think about and engage in solitude. The present study examined whether South African adolescents from individualist and collectivist cultures differ in their motivations for solitude, using the Motivation for Solitude Scale (MSS-SF). Respondents included 426 adolescents from collectivist and 266 from individualist cultures, between 14 and 18 years of age (mean age?=?15.7). For valid cross-cultural comparisons, measurement equivalence was established using invariance and differential item functioning analysis. Results for the measurement invariance analysis (MI) marginally failed to support scalar invariance. Given criticism that MI is overly restrictive, Rasch analysis was used to test for uniform DIF, which supported invariance. Next, Bayesian analysis was used to investigate group differences. There was no difference between the cultural groups for non-self-determined solitude, but, adolescents from individualist cultures were less likely to engage in self-determined solitude. Results support the cross-cultural application of the MSS-SF, and point to a possible cultural bias against self-determined solitude in individualist cultures, despite its potential benefits.     

The Need for Power and Fear of Assertiveness in English-Speaking South African Female Graduates

The present study demonstrated that Winter's (1973) power arousal procedure and scoring system for the need for power, which were developed in the United States, are valid for English-speaking South African female graduates. Subjects in whom the need for power had been aroused by a prerecorded inspirational speech (n = 20) had significantly higher n Power scores than matched nonaroused subjects (n = 20), T ²(8, 31) = 56.17, p ≤ .01. Further, it was argued that the fear of assertiveness is a component of the need for power, and a scoring system for measuring this motive was suggested. Fear of assertiveness was shown to correlate significantly with various behavioral and dispositional measures of assertiveness, relating especially to a dependency pattern of behavior.     

Boycotting South Africa

ABSTRACT This essay explores the question of what sorts of relations morality permits, requires, or forbids nations, businesses, and individuals to have with South Africa and South Africans. After reflecting on the immorality of apartheid and rebutting several defences of it, the essay turns its attention to several questions that bear on the assessment of foreign policy toward South Africa. The final sections discuss how individuals ought to respond to South African apartheid, focusing on collective boycotts and personal abstentions. The essay critically assesses various proposed boycotts and weighs the significance of symbolic protests of apartheid.     

Counselling psychology in South Africa

The origin and development of counselling psychology in South Africa has been profoundly influenced by the country’s sociopolitical history and the impact of apartheid. As a result of this, counselling psychologists in the country face a number of challenges and opportunities for the future. In this paper we provide a portrait of counselling psychology in South Africa by describing the current character of the specialty and the context in which South African psychologists work. We critically discuss the challenges that the specialty faces to meet the country’s mental health care needs, contest the current Scope of Practice; affirm multiculturalism without essentialising or reifying race and ethnicity, and build an evidence base for community interventions in the country. We also consider how, in the future, counselling psychologists in South Africa may make a more meaningful contribution within public health and the country’s health care and education systems.     

Acceptance-Enhanced Behavior Therapy for Trichotillomania in Adolescents

Although several studies have examined the efficacy of Acceptance Enhanced Behavior Therapy (AEBT) for the treatment of trichotillomania (TTM) in adults, data are limited with respect to the treatment of adolescents. Our case series illustrates the use of AEBT for TTM in the treatment of two adolescents. The AEBT protocol (Woods & Twohig, 2008) is a structured treatment manual that was adapted to the individual clients’ needs and clinical progress. Both clients reported clinically significant gains in treatment as determined by at least 2 weeks of abstinence from pulling, and subjective reports of decreased distress and impairment, although one required a booster session due to relapse. AEBT is worth further exploration as a treatment for adolescents with TTM.     

Environmental Correlates of Gambling Behavior in Urban Adolescents

The present study considered the relation between adolescent gambling behavior and the perceived environment, the component of Jessor and Jessor’s (1977) Problem Behavior Theory that assesses the ways that adolescents perceive the attitudes and behaviors of parents and peers. The predominantly African-American sample included 188 sophomores from two urban public high schools. Using the South Oaks Gambling Screen-Revised for Adolescents to assess gambling risk, rates of both at-risk (20.7%) and problem (12.8%) gambling were found to be high. Boys displayed more gambling problems than did girls. The perceived environment accounted for significant variance in gambling problems and frequency, with proximal components displaying stronger relationships than distal components. Perceiving parent gambling and friend models for problem behavior were positively correlated with gambling problems, and friend models were positively related to gambling frequency. Among girls, family support was positively related to gambling problems. Among boys, this relation was negative. The authors Emerson M. Wickwire, Jr. James P. Whelan, and Andrew W. Meyers are members of The Institute for Gambling Education and Research, Department of Psychology, The University of Memphis, Memphis, TN. The primary research interest of this group is the prevention and treatment of gambling related problems. David M. Murray, Ph.D., is the Chair of the Division of Epidemiology at the School of Public Health, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH.     

The Flynn effect in South Africa

This is a study of secular score gains in South Africa. The findings are based on representative samples from datasets utilized in norm studies of popular mainstream intelligence batteries such as the WAIS as well as widely used test batteries which were locally developed and normed in South Africa. Flynn effects were computed in three ways. First, studies where two different groups take the same test, with several years in between, using representative or comparable samples were used. Second, studies where the same group takes two different test batteries at a specific time were used. Third, the score differences between English- and Afrikaans-speaking Whites in South Africa in the 20th century were compared. The Flynn effect in White groups in South Africa is somewhat smaller than the Flynn effect in Western, industrialized countries (total N = 6534), and the Flynn effect in Indian groups is substantially smaller (total N = 682). Non-verbal IQ scores surpassed increases in verbal IQ scores. The findings from English- and Afrikaans-speaking Whites evidence a leveling out of differences in score gains over the 20th century (total N = 79,310). A meta-regression analysis showed no clear support for the moderators a) method used for computing the Flynn effect gain, b) type of test battery, c) time span, d) quality of the sample, and e) average age of sample.     

Assessment Center Practices in South Africa

Despite the popularity of assessment centers (AC) in South Africa, no recent study exists that describes AC practices in that region. Given this research gap, we conducted a survey study that analyzes the development, execution, and evaluation of ACs in N=43 South African organizations. We report findings regarding AC design, job analysis and job requirements assessed, target groups and positions of the participants after the AC, number and kind of exercises used, additional diagnostic methods used, assessors and characteristics considered in constitution of the assessor pool, observational systems and rotation plan, characteristics, contents, and methods of assessor training, types of information provided to participants, data integration process, use of self‐ and peer‐rating, characteristics of the feedback process, and features after the AC. Finally, we compare the results with professional suggestions to identify pros and cons in current South African AC practices and offer suggestions for improvement.     

Predicting Intentions of AIDS-Preventive Behavior Among Adolescents

The aim was to predict adolescents' i]ntentions of regular condom use on the basis of an extended version of Ajzen and Fishbein's (1980) theory of reasoned action. Attitude and subjective norm concerning regular condom use were measured along with their antecedent beliefs and evaluations, with fear of AIDS and knowledge about AIDS included as additional variables. A mixed-gender sample comprising both sexually active and sexually inexperienced adolescents was studied. The results strongly support the impact of attitude toward regular condom use as a determinant of a corresponding behavioral intention. Normative pressures failed to predict intentions of regular condom use, as did fear of AIDS and knowledge about AIDS. The findings are discussed with respect to intervention campaigns aimed at promoting condom use among adolescents as an AIDS-preventive measure.