Sociodemographic factors,religiosity, academic performance,and substance use among first-year university students in South Africa

The purpose of this study was to identify the relationships among sociodemographic variables, family background, religiosity, course of study, academic performance, and substance use. The sample included 799 first-year students in the age range of 16 to 49 years (M age 20.1 yr., SD = 3.2) chosen at random from the University of the North in South Africa. A Model Core Questionnaire from the WHO on Substance use was administered. Analysis indicated that women smoked tobacco or cannabis and drank less than men, while women took more stimulants and other opiate type drugs than men. Low scores on religiosity was a predictor for past-month tobacco use alcohol use, binge drinking, cannabis use, and having a drinking or drug problem now. Being a member of a Protestant denominational church or a Roman Catholic was a predictor for past-month tobacco and alcohol use. A family history of drinking or drug problems and being a social science or humanities student were predictive for a current alcohol or drug problem. Economic status, education of parents. living arrangement. and rural-urban differences were not associated with substance use. Findings have implications for prevention programmes.     

The prediction of condom use intention among South African university students

A questionnaire was administered to 294 sexually active, unmarried undergraduate students to investigate the role of social norms in the prediction of the intention to use condoms. Components of social cognitive theory and the theory of reasoned action and planned behaviour were integrated with those of the Health Belief Model to predict future intention to use condoms with a new partner. Logistic regression analyses of selected risky sexual behaviours on the intention to use condoms showed that, among males, attitudes towards using condoms and the Health Belief Model component of perceived barriers predicted the intention to use condoms. The Health Belief Model component of perceived benefits could not be interpreted. Attitudes, subjective norms and perceived self-efficacy were associated with female students' intention to use condoms. Implications for strategies of HIV/AIDS prevention are discussed.     

Prejudice and neurotic symptomatology among white South Africans

Van der Spuy and Shamley (1978) have assembled evidence suggesting chronically elevated levels of neurotic symptomatology among both white and black South Africans. They have argued that these elevated levels could be attributed to the experience of racial discrimination and prejudice. New data obtained from a reasonably representative national sample of white South Africans (N = 782) did reveal symptom scores substantially and significantly higher than scores previously reported for a large community sample in the United States. On the other hand, partial correlational analyses did not indicate any consistent pattern of association between antiblack prejudice and symptom scores among white South Africans. Therefore, intergroup conflict in a sharply stratified society may affect symptomatic levels in individuals by influencing the general quality of social life.     

Strengths use and deficit improvement: The relationship with engagement and fit with study course amongst first-year students

This study sought to test a model of students’ proactive behaviour to use their strengths and improve their deficits and how this relates with their self-reported perceptions of their fit with a study course and engagement. Participants were 692 first-year students from a higher education institution in South Africa (females=60.3%; blacks=71.3%; mean age=19.71; SD=1.93). They completed measures of strengths use, deficit improvement, perceptions of fit with a study course and engagement. Structural equation modelling was utilised to examine the relationship between students’ strengths use and deficit improvement, perceptions of fit with a study course and student engagement. In addition, the bootstrapping method was used to identify possible mediating effects of fit with a study course. The results indicated that only deficit improvement showed a significant relationship with engagement. Perceptions of fit with a study course mediated the relationship between students’ strengths use and deficit improvement.     

A comparative study of aggression amongst Nigerian university students in Niger Delta region

There is genuine concern over social violence and aggression among youths in many countries. Despite considerable efforts directed toward molding the pattern of model behavior, frequent disturbances and various antisocial vices among youths in our environment may be due to failure to acknowledge the risk factors associated with aggression. The objective of this study was to assess the level of aggressive traits among students in higher institutions, as well as identifying the possible predictive factors. Using a two-stage random sampling method, 515 fifteen students, comprising 306 from arts and 209 from medicine faculties, University of Uyo were screened for aggressive traits; using Buss-Perry Aggression (BPAQ) Questionnaire. A total of 306 arts students and 209 medical students fully completed the questionnaire. Among the arts students, 127 (41.5%) were males and 179 (58.5%) females. Similarly, of the 209 medical students, 143 (68.4%) were males and 66 (31.6%) females. The mean age for arts students was 28.7 years (SD = 7.9); while that of medical students was 23.6 years (SD = 4.9). The difference in the mean was statistically significant (t = 8.15, P = 0.001). A total of 139 (45 .4%) of arts students showed abnormal overall score for aggression as against 74 (35.4%) of medical students. This difference was statistically significant (χ(2) = 5.139, P = 0.01). There was also significant difference in the physical and verbal aggression subscales as 123 (40.2%) of arts against 53 (25.4%) medical students showed physical aggression (χ(2) = 12.15, P = 0.001), while 82 (26.8%) against 109 (52.2%) showed verbal aggression (χ(2) = 34.218, P = 0.001). Verbal aggression was positively correlated with female students; males have 2.98 odds ratio of being aggressive (P = 0.001). There is a high level of aggressive traits among students in higher institutions of learning. This can manifest in behaviors and vices capable of disturbing public peace and academic activities in schools. Therefore, there is need to curb aggression in order to create conducive learning environment and maintain societal norms.     

Culture and beliefs about time: comparisons among black Americans, black Africans, and white Americans

The authors investigated the extent to which racial factors, cultural factors, or both influence a person's beliefs about physical time, personal time, and experienced and remembered duration. A total of 750 Black American, Black African, and White American students responded to a questionnaire on these beliefs about time. Factor analysis was used to compare belief structures. Pairwise comparisons, performed separately for each statement, tested the direction and strength of the reported beliefs. The groups showed many similarities, but they also showed some differences. All 3 groups differed in beliefs about physical and personal time, but they did not differ in beliefs about duration experiences. This evidence does not support simplistic views of racial or cultural influences. Culture may differentially influence beliefs about physical time and personal time. Beliefs about duration experiences may represent an ethnic factor that transcends cultures.     

Predictors of scientific majors for black and white college students

The differences in the personality and social backgrounds of science and non-science majors were assessed for 91 black and 109 white natural, social, and nonscience college majors. Subjects were administered the 16PF, Bem Sex-Role Inventory, and the Attitude Toward Women Scale, and data were collected on birth order, number of siblings, and social class level. Natural science majors were of a higher social class, had higher intelligence test scores, were more reserved, sober, practical, and male sex-role oriented than the social and non-science majors. Blacks and females resembled their white or male counterparts when categorized by college major.     

Spatial factors in masking with black or white targets

Two masking experiments were carried out. In the first, duration thresholds were measured for a 10 min black test disc paired with a larger concentric black mask, ranging in size from 15 min to 2 deg. The stimuli were tachistoscopically presented centrally, or at 2 deg or 6 deg in the left binocular field. As mask diameter increased, test threshold decreased in a negatively accelerated function, which approached an asymptote below the unmasked condition. All functions are similar with systematic upward shifts for more peripheral stimulation. In Experiment 2, threshold luminance was adjusted for a 1 deg, 5-msec test flash paired with a 250-mseC., 34-mL mask, ranging from 1 deg to 6.2 deg in diameter. Stimuli were presented in Maxwellian view at 7.2 deg in the right eye nasal field. Results were similar to Experiment 1, except that the asymptote is significantly above the control condition. Both experimental results support a border inhibition hypothesis.     

The relationship between psychosocial factors and condom use among African-American adolescents

The present investigation explored the relationship between psychosocial factors and condom use by African-American adolescents. Two hundred twenty-nine males, aged 14 to 19 years, responded to a health behavior survey that gathered information on demographics, HIV knowledge, perceived certainty of future condom use, present and past use of condoms, and intention to use condoms in the next six months. Several psychological variables, including sexual self-efficacy and self-esteem, were also measured. It was found that the majority of participants were sexually active by age 13, had four or more lifetime sexual partners, and were using condoms regularly. Multiple linear regression analysis indicated that sexual self-efficacy predicted perceived certainty of condom use. In addition, self-esteem and sexual self-efficacy predicted intention to use condoms. These findings highlight the need to develop HIV prevention curricula for African-American male adolescents that not only emphasize the potential risks associated with having multiple sexual partners, but also include components to enhance self-worth and sexual self-efficacy.     

Love attitudes of white South African and British university students.

The Munro-Adams Love Attitude Scale was administered to 133 randomly chosen final-year undergraduate White South African and British university students in this examination of their attitudes toward love, courtship, and marriage in relation to the observation that, although South African tertiary educational institutions exist within the authoritarian and restrictive culture of apartheid, they nevertheless are modeled on the British educational system, which has its roots deeply embedded within a politically democratic context. Results indicated that the South African sample's endorsement of the love attitude items was weaker, except for those pertaining to the power of love, than that of their British counterparts. In addition, the South African scores were lower than those previously reported in other similar cross-cultural research, and there was a differential ranking of the three love styles by the male and female subjects.     

The association of idealization and intimacy factors with condom use in gay male couples

The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship of idealization and three specific intimacy factors (relationship satisfaction, excitement, and closeness) to reported condom use in gay male couples. It was expected that there would be negative associations of idealization and the intimacy factors with condom use. Both members of 45 gay male couples completed a questionnaire that assessed these factors. This study found (a) idealization to have a significant negative correlation with condom use, suggesting that the more the individuals idealized each other, the less likely that condoms were used during sex; (b) a significant negative association between relationship satisfaction and condom use, implying that as the couples experienced more satisfaction within their relationships, condom use decreased; (c) a significant negative correlation between excitement and condom use, suggesting that as excitement increased, condom use decreased; and (d) no significant association between closeness and condom use.     

Culture,gender, and the first memories of black and white American students

A pattern of delayed offset of childhood amnesia in Asian cultures has been attributed to the influence of the collectivist orientation of these cultures. To explore the generality of this finding, black and white American students were compared in two studies. A culture X gender interaction was observed in both studies; black women were approximately 11-16 months older at the time of their first memory than were black men, white women, and white men. In the second study, analyses of memory content indicated that black women were least likely to report personal experiences and most likely to report experiences from family or wider social contexts. Overall, black participants rated their memories as more vivid, but there were culture X gender interactions for ratings of emotional intensity and coherence. We consider multiple influences on age at first memory, including distal influences, gender themes in self-construal, and proximal influences on search criteria.     

Improving condom use intentions and behavior by changing perceived partner norms: an evaluation of condom promotion videos for college students.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the effectiveness of 2 condom promotion videotapes on self-efficacy, intentions, and behavior. DESIGN: Two hundred twenty college students completed social-cognitive and behavioral measures and were then randomly assigned to receive one of two 30-min condom promotion videotapes (male or female student presenters) or to a wait-list control condition. Participants who watched 1 of the videotapes completed immediate posttest measures, and 85% of participants completed a 4-month follow-up. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Self-efficacy for condom use, intentions to use condoms, use of condom during last sex, and consistent condom use over the last month. RESULTS: Participants who received either video reported greater self-efficacy to refuse to have unprotected sex and intentions than controls at follow-up. Individuals who received either video were more likely than controls to report using a condom during last sex with a regular partner, and those who watched the female presenter were more likely to report consistent condom use. CONCLUSION: Participants benefited in terms of self-efficacy and intentions from receiving either video, but both men and women benefited more in terms of condom use behavior from receiving the female video. Future research is needed to determine whether opposite-sex speaker videos could be beneficial with a larger (and more sexually active) sample and whether these effects are maintained over time.     

The factor structure of the Vocational Preference Inventory for black and white college students

This study investigated whether the variables measured by the Vocational Preference Inventory (VPI) were the same for both black and white students. Kaiser et al. (1969) have noted that the same measurements used with different populations may not measure the same variables and have presented a method of determining the degree of correspondence in the two populations. In the present study, the VPI scores for a group of black students and a group of white students were factor analyzed separately and the black structure was rotated to correspond to the white structure. The correspondence between the variables measured by the VPI for black and white students was found to be very similar. This is to say that the VPI measures the same variables for both black and white college students.     

Participation,individual differences,and job satisfaction among black and white employees in South Africa

The moderating effects of perceived legitimacy of participating and of higher-order need strength on the relationship between participation and job satisfaction was examined in a sample of 62 black and 71 white clerks in South Africa. The black subjects had significantly stronger higher-order needs. There were no differences between the black and white subjects in perceived legitimacy and the extent of perceived participation in decision-making. The participation-satisfaction relationship was significantly higher among the black subjects. It is argued from path-goal theory that the stronger participation-satisfaction relationship among the black subjects derives from their greater job involvement and their more ambiguous work roles in South Africa.     

Adverse developmental experiences and risky health behaviours among black South African university students

This study examined the relationship between adverse developmental experiences (ADEs) and risky health behaviours among a cross-sectional sample of black South African students (n = 393; females = 58%, M_age = 20.5 years, SD = 2.9). Binary logistic regression was used to model the association between categories of ADEs and risky health behaviours. Findings suggest individual ADEs to significantly predict risky health behaviours. The highest singular ADEs reported were being treated like a child (62%), parents being overprotective (59%), and being driven to be perfectionistic (58%). There was no indication of a general trend of ordered associations between the number of ADEs and risky health behaviours.     

The consequences of marijuana use on intrapersonal and interpersonal functioning in black and white adolescents

We examined the effects of marijuana use on adolescent personality, attitudinal, and behavioral attributes, perceived parent-adolescent relations, and perceived peer factors. Volunteer high school students (292 Blacks, 401 Whites) of middle-class backgrounds filled out questionnaires in their classrooms first when they were in the 9th and 10th grades and again 2 years later when they were in the 11th and 12th grades. Results suggest that regular use of marijuana may lead to lower achievement, increased tolerance of deviance, and more deviant behavior, and greater rebelliousness. Regular use also appears to interfere with adolescents' relationships with their parents and to lead them to associate with more deviant and drug-using friends. The consequences of marijuana use for intrapersonal and interpersonal functioning were for the most part similar in the different sex and age groups, although there were some ethnic differences.