Exploring the Application of Actuarial Criminology in Southern Africa

In response to the declared intent of the White Paper on Corrections (Department of Corrections, 2005) to transform prisons into needs-based centers of reform, the Self-appraisal Questionnaire (SAQ) was used to explore its potential as a reliable and valid prediction scale for recidivism in the diverse cultural context of Southern Africa. A total of 269 incarcerated males agreed to be anonymously assessed. Furthermore, 38 offenders with a history of maladjustment and disciplinary problems were identified for comparison. An alpha score of.90 as well as moderate to high or high to excellent coefficient alphas for six out of the seven subscales confirm the SAQ to be a reliable assessment instrument within the Southern African context. All correlation coefficients (criminal tendencies, antisocial personality problems, conduct problems, criminal history, alcohol and drug abuse, antisocial associates and anger) also measured significantly at the 0.01 level while the scores of the 38 isolated cases suggested higher scores in relation to conduct disorder, antisocial personality trends, anger and consequently criminal history.     

Perceptions of the utility of personality assessment for personnel selection in the South African context: An exploratory study

This study explored South African industrial psychologists’ perceptions of the utility of personality assessment for personnel selection. Eleven industrial psychologists (2 male, 9 female) from the Johannesburg area, South Africa were the participants. They participated in semi-structured interviews exploring their understanding of the place of personality assessment in personnel selection within organisational settings in South Africa and the common practices employed. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. Four dominant themes emerged from the data: person-environment fit; specific uses of personality tests; commonly used tests and validity and ethical concerns. Based on the findings, personality assessment use in South African industry settings appears multi-layered and consistently evolving.     

Four fatal flaws of brain injury assessment in the cross-cultural context

This analytical review serves to highlight pitfalls clinicians in multicultural contexts may encounter when using normed ability tests for the assessment of cognitive dysfunction due to brain injury. Four sources of erroneous practice are: (i) Failure to recognize within-race group heterogeneity on cognitive test performance in association with factors such as quality of education; (ii) Lack of rigorous attention being paid to the exact mode of test administration used in a derived normative base to be used for assessment purposes; (iii) Estimating an expected level of performance for an individual on diverse cognitive tests based on an IQ score; (iv) Adopting a thoroughly rule-bound actuarial approach to test interpretation, over a contextually based clinical approach. Even with locally derived norms, the validity of actuarially based interpretive conclusions in the absence of a conceptually coherent case analysis is not supported.     

Hagiography: Current and prospective contributions

This study considers the historical development of hagiographic research, including its antecedents and contemporary motivations and intentions. As a sub-approach of psychobiographical research, hagiography's defining qualities include the venerability of the subject, the aim of edifying the reader and illustrating issues of faith and morals as taught by a given religious group. Hagiography has the unique qualities to benefit research scholarship in its exploration of the psychological aspects of a positive human experience, virtue, religion and the spiritual life. Its limitations include overly positive accounts that ignore or minimise negative experiences and weaknesses of people considered to be venerable. Studies that utilise hagiography might be enhanced by researchers prioritising literature that is objective and historically accurate, relating the choice of psychological theory to the research question, and listening to critical and sympathetic voices regarding the subject. This would enable a holistic view of the human experience – with due consideration for the legacy and posthumous extrapolations that may exist regarding the subject, as well as the need to maintain a keen sense of personal awareness throughout the research.     

Sex Offender Assessment Procedures: A South African Comparison

This study reports on the results of a reflective case analysis of a first generation assessment procedure of a chronic offender. The assessment focused on offender's experiential world and his pathway to crime, including precipitating crime risk factors as well as treatment needs to direct an intervention. The results of this assessment are compared with the results of a third-generation appraisal scale to evaluate the corresponding and/or different findings of these assessments. Findings suggest comparability of corresponding assessment indicators, suggesting that first and third generation assessment techniques can be integrated in corrections rehabilitation.     

TheoArtistry: practical perspectives on ‘theologically informed art’

ABSTRACT

This article reviews the TheoArtistry Composers’ Scheme (2016–2018), in light of the developing concept of ‘theologically informed art’. Based at the Institute for Theology, Imagination, and the Arts (ITIA) (University of St Andrews), the scheme partnered emerging theologians and composers to create six new choral settings of Hebrew Bible ‘annunciations’. In addition to producing new music, the project became a practical touchstone for reinvigorating dialogues between theologians and practising artists, as well as Christians and non-Christians. First, the author assesses the scheme’s contributions to the study and practice of theologically informed art in the future. Second, she outlines some methodological issues associated with the scheme’s unique breadth of participants. Finally, she assesses ecclesiological and theological ambiguities within the scheme. The author argues that clarifying these ambiguities expands horizons for future collaborations in theologically informed art.     

Working Experientially and Somatically with Couples

SUMMARY

Working experientially and somatically with couples is a powerful method of accessing, exploring, and transforming both intra-psychic issues and interactional patterns. In this article, a number of methods of working experientially will be described, along with their underlying rationale. Basic assumptions about the nature of couple's difficulties and the role of the therapist also will be explored along with an integrated approach to assessment that provides a solid basis for these dramatic interventions.     

Development of the Couples Resource Map Scales

Abstract

This article describes the initial phases of development of the Couples Resource Map Scales (CRMS). These scales are designed to assess the degree of support couples receive from various personal, relationship, and contextual resources. The first phase involved the initial item development and an expert review of an extended list of potential items. The second phase involved a survey of university seniors (n = 397) involved in monogamous, intimate relationships to test the psychometric properties of the instrument. The third phase involved an analysis of variance in CRMS scores based on participants' self-reported level of satisfaction with their relationship. The results provide preliminary support for the reliability and validity of the CRMS.     

Hardiness training facilitates performance in college

In 25 years of research and practice, hardiness has emerged as a pattern of attitudes and skills that is a pathway to resilience under stressful circumstances. As such, it is important to determine whether hardiness can be trained, and if such training improves performance and health. The few relevant studies available thus far have suggested this training effectiveness among working adults and students. Furthering this theme, the present study involves a large sample of undergraduate students, comparing those who experienced hardiness training as a regular credit course, with those who went through other courses taught by the same teachers. At the beginning of the courses, these two groups did not differ in demographics, hardiness levels, or grade-point-average (GPA). At the end of the courses, the Hardiness Training Group showed higher levels of hardiness, and GPA than did the Comparison Group. This improvement in GPA for the Hardiness Training Group persisted over the following 2-year period, even controlling for GPA and hardiness level prior to the training, and the grade received in the training. These results suggest the importance of hardiness training in facilitating a major indicator of excellent performance in college life.