Psychology

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The progressive matrices intelligence test applied to three racial groups in Cape Town.
(1946) Goldstein, Mildred Joy.; Goldstein, Mildred Joy.
No abstract available.
The standardisation of a battery of intelligence tests suitable for Indian primary school children in Durban.
(1956) Logue, G. D.; Schmidt, Wilfred H. O.
No abstract available.
Some psychological concepts of urban Africans.
(1962) Bloom, Leonard.
Abstract not available.
An investigation into the performance of a group of Durban Indian school children on the Wechsler intelligence scale for children.
(1970) Schuhmann, Patricia Ann.
Interest in this research was stimulated as a result of analysing performance of a group of Durban Indian school children, referred to the Durban Child Guidance Clinic as possible cases for remedial education, on A.E. Maxwell's abbreviated form of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC). The research describes results of applying the full WISC to a carefully selected group of 72 Durban Indian school children in upper junior school levels, and its aims, besides general description of the results of the group and of subgroups, were to investigate Verbal and Performance scale results of the group more fully and to determine whether the abbreviated WISC in question possessed satisfactory validity for the group tested. The experimental group was found to perform significantly better on the Verbal than on the Performance scale of the WISC, in agreement with results of analysing abbreviated WISC profiles of the Durban Clinic sample, and also in agreement with results of research in which modified Wechsler tests had been applied to youngsters in India. Relative to Performance ability, Verbal ability appeared a more integrated dimension of intellect for the present Indian group. Possible reasons for the WISC pattern obtained were sought within the literature and it was felt that the result could be ascribed largely to cultural background factors. Evidence also suggested the applicability of the WISC to the sample studied, and it was felt to be a suitable scale for the measurement of Indian intelligence, at least in the interim before an individual scale standardised for South African Indian children is devised. Abbreviated WISC results of the group, derived by means of Maxwell's method, were examined, and there was reason to believe that as far as validity was concerned, there was room for improvement. Alternative abbreviated forms of the WISC, with possible usefulness for Indian children of similar background to the present-sample, were accordingly suggested for further research.
The complexity of cognitive structure in relation to scholastic achievement.
(1973) Moerdyk, Alwyn Paul.; Murray, C. O.
This study is concerned with patterns of information search and utilisation, and the effect these have on the areas of academic interest and the level of achievement within these areas as a result a fit between the individual and his environment. In particular, the study deals with the scholar's level of cognitive complexity as described by Harvey, Hunt and Schroder (1961) and the effect such complexity level has upon subject preference in the final school year and whether this in turn effects the level of competence and achievement of the pupil. It will be argued that individual differences in cognitive style or information processing strategies act as moderator variables, resulting in a preference for and relative success in some rather than other domains of intellectual activity. A distinction is drawn between styles that encourage the consideration of a fairly wide range of variables, and those that favour a more restricted range in any given situation. Furthermore, it is argued that the natural sciences, in nature and educational aims, favour individuals with restricted styles, while the arts and humanities favour the "broader" cognitive styles. A link is drawn between these styles and the complexity of the individual's cognitive structure, and the hypothesis is tested that a preference for and success in the arts as against the sciences is a function of an increase in complexity. Results in support of the hypothesis is presented and implications of the findings are discussed.
An examination of some religious concepts of urban Indian school children.
(1975) Tilak, Mahadew.; Bhana, K.
No abstract available.
An ethological study of the exploratory and play behaviour of pre-school children.
(1977) Kvalsvig, Jane Dene.; Lucas, John.
The behaviour of a group of nursery school children with respect to a novel object in a familiar playground was recorded on videotape and film. Recording sessions of half an hour's duration took place on 5 consecutive days. The behaviour was analysed according to receptor-contact patterns, and recurring patterns of behaviour derived from McGrew's (1972) list of social behaviour patterns. Evidence is discussed to support the hypothesis that group exploratory behaviour contained elements of wariness and competition as well as a general trend from specific to diversive exploration (Berlyne 1960). Sex differences in exploratory behaviour are discussed as well as the proposition that boys are generally more suited to an active exploratory role whereas girls tend to perform a communicative role.
The development of communicative competence : the ontogenesis of joint co-ordinated interaction between mother and infant.
(1977) Krige, Penelope Disa.; Albino, Ronald C.
An analysis of mother-infant interaction during the preverbal period has revealed the importance of gaze in establishing the phatic channel and in the development of an intersubjectivity between them. Before the infant starts speaking there are behavioural indices of intersubjectivity - this enables complex tasks to be jointly accomplished. Seven stages in the ontogenesis of joint co-ordinated activity have been identified. It is argued that there is a continuity of function between these preverbal communicative actions and later verbal behaviour. The two theories providing the theoretical basis for this research are Speech Act Theory (Searle 1969) and Piaget's (1953, 1970) theory of cognitive development. Some modification of these theories has been necessary.
Psychological maturity as a moderator variable in academic achievement / implications for counselling.
(1977) Scherer, Elfrieda Aletta.; Moerdyk, Alwyn Paul.
The problem investigated is the contribution of non-intellectual factors, in particular the level of psychosocial maturity, to the academic achievement of the high school pupil. It has generally been shown that Intelligence and Achievement correlate. (Robbertse 1968; Moerdyk 1973). However, according to Ausubel (1968) this correlation is only moderate and he suggests that this can be attributed to the influence of other variables, such as personality traits, adjustment and interests. Robbertse (1968) has stated that Intelligence alone is not a good predictor of school achievement for all pupils, that personality is an integral part of an individual's psychological make-up and it is, therefore, imperative to look at its contribution to the prediction of achievement. Eysenck (1969) and Cattell (1966) have found low but significant correlations between various personality scales and achievement. Verhage (1977) mentioned that relatively little research has been done in South Africa to determine the relationship between non-academic factors, such as personality characteristics, and academic achievement. Psychosocial maturity as conceived in this thesis is the outcome of the process of personality development with the emphasis on the person as a healthy individual in his interaction with society. A multiple correlation technique is used to relate academic results, intelligence scores and psychosocial maturity in an attempt to improve the prediction of achievement from Intelligence by using maturity scores. Results that are generally supporting of the hypothesis are presented, and factors that emerge and their implications are discussed. The characteristics of the maturity scale as found in a South African sample are also discussed.
The relevance of mothers' speech in communication with the pre-verbal child.
(1977) Hoar, Richard N. M.; Albino, Ronald C.
In this research project, the speech which four mothers used to address their language-learning infants was examined. Part 1. A Descriptive analysis of mother's speech to infants led to the conclusion that this speech is both simple and redundant in nature, as measured by the language classification tools used. However, the four mothers used in this study differed from each other, in their speech to their infants. Part 11. A Trend analysis of measures of mother's speech to infants was used, to note how this speech changed over time. Little change was observed within each mother's speech to her infant, over the following periods of time: Oliver's and Julie's mothers, 24 weeks (each), Sarah's mother, 42 weeks and Kerryn's mother, 56 weeks. Part 111. A Functional analysis of mother's speech to infants suggests that speech varies in function as the child develops. This is particularly seen in the inclusion of the world about the child by the mother in her speech. The content of the mother's messages also varies over time. Finally an example of trends in 'conversation between mothers and their infants is presented as another useful approach.
Personality correlates to performance under stress in simulated chemical plant emergencies.
(1977) Lehmann, Hans Peter.; Ramsey, A.
When a fault develops in a chemical plant process, the plant operator must identify the fault rapidly and take immediate corrective action. The interaction of process factors varies from fairly to highly complex (in extreme cases, this interaction is not yet fully understood even by chemical engineers) and consequences of faults can occur in chainreactions. The operators task is to control all process parameters until the plant is brought back to normal conditions. Doing this, he is fully aware of the fact, that the consequences of wrong corrective action or failure to bring the plant under control can be grave in economic terms, extremely serious (lethal) in terms of the operator's hazards and potentially catastrophic. Thus a considerable amount of stress can be built up, which is potentially interfering with the "cool" required to succeed in overcoming the emergency as quickly and efficiently as possible. This project attempts to explore presumed correlations between personality factors and performance under stress. Where such correlations exist in significant manifestation, their rank of magnitude was established and their predictive value investigated.
Brief visual memory processes in reading disabled children.
(1980) Loubser, Noleen Dianna.; Murray, C. O.; Sharratt, Pamela Arlette.
The information processing approach was used as a basis for studying some brief visual memory processes in reading disabled children. Three aspects of processing were examined, viz. (i) Duration of icon persistence; (ii) Performance under different backward masking conditions; and (iii) Processing of information into a more durable short-term visual memory store. It was found that there were no differences in the duration of icon persistence in reading disabled children, but that these children exhibited marked impairment in performance in the tasks used in the latter two experiments. The reasons for the reading disabled children's poorer performance in these tasks were not apparent. Speculations about the strategies used by these children in approaching the tasks are made. Possible implications and directions for future research are discussed.
An investigation into the classification abilities of South African Indian children.
(1980) Ramkissoon, Rusthum Davrajh.; Bhana, K.
No abstract available.
The construction of a group test of cognitive processes for use in education.
(1980) Bromley, Douglas Vivian.; Moerdyk, Alwyn Paul.
While there is increasing emphasis in education on the learning of intellectual processes, relatively little attention has been given to the rigorous assessment of these processes. An attempt was made to construct a group test which measured both specific processes of thinking as well as the general level of thinking attained at adolescence. Test Hems were modelled on Piagetian tasks as described by Elkind (1961b), Lawson and Renner (1974) and Shayer et a1. (1976). The test as a whole was considered to have acceptable face and content validity." Most items, as well as the test as a whole, showed low, but acceptable construct · validity for a research instrument. The reliability of the test in its present form was unacceptably low. Further development of the test is discussed as well as the implications which were raised for education.
Information processing in high and low redundancy schizophrenics.
(1980) Strydom, Linda Marleine.; Sharratt, Pamela Arlette.; Fouché, Gustav Wilhelmus.
Cromwell's (1968, 1972, 1975) stimulus redundancy theory was tested on two levels: firstly, by examining the process-reactive and paranoid-nonparanoid dimensions which form the basis of identification of high and low redundancy schizophrenics; and secondly, by examining two predictions of the theory pertaining to the information processing characteristics of high and low redundancy schizophrenics. In the first part of the study, three schizophrenic groups (acute, chronic and remitted), nonschizophrenic psychiatric patients and normals were assessed on material relevant to ascertaining the basis of subdivisions such as the process-reactive dimension. It was concluded that process-reactive ratings were largely measures of extrinsic factors, such as social competence, and were of some practical use in assessments of prognosis. However, there was little basis upon which to conclude that such subdivisions of schizophrenic samples would result in the identification of groups of patients who would differ fundamentally in their cognitive functioning. In the second part of the study, two predictions of Cromwell's stimulus redundancy theory were examined: rate of processing and extensity of attention. The performance of high and low redundancy schizophrenics, nonschizophrenic psychiatric control patients and normal controls was assessed on three information processing tasks. The results offered no positive evidence for Cromwell's theory: low redundancy schizophrenics were not found to process information faster, or to have a broadened attentional field as compared to high redundancy schizophrenics. It was concluded that a more fruitful direction for future research may lie in investigations of the strategies of processing used by schizophrenic patients.
An investigation of the relationships between certain demographic and personality variables and death anxiety in Indian youth.
(1980) Mahabeer, Manorunjunie.
No abstract available.
Locus of control and schizophrenic adjustment : a dimensional analysis.
(1980) Beck, Howard A.; Strydom, J.
The literature indicates that: (i) locus of control is a multi-factorial construct; and (ii) psychological maladjustment is associated with a generalised perception that reinforcements are not personally controlled. Little is known regarding the importance of the identified factors to psychopathology. The relationship between locus of control and adjustment is empirically well established but void of theoretical basis. The present study proposes a bridge between locus of control and Seligman's theory of learned helplessness . Forty hospitalised psychiatric patients (diagnosed schizophrenic) and forty persons chosen randomly from a voter's roll ("normals") were administered tests of locus of control; namely, the Internal-External scale (Rotter, 1966). The Internal,Powerful Others and Chance Scale (Levenson, 1972) and the Interpersonal Trust Scale (Rotter, 1967). The Psychotic Reaction Profile (Lorr, O'Connor and Stafford, 1960), a behavioural questionnaire, was completed for each patient. The results suggest that a multidimensional analysis does not add substantially to an understanding of the relationship between locus of control and psychological adjustment. It is however arguable that the study casts doubt on the utility of existing measures rather than the dimensions as such. Support was provided for the hypothesis linking locus of control to behavioural symptoms of learned helplessness.
The effects of schistosomiasis on the behaviour of children.
(1981) Kvalsvig, Jane Dene.; Lucas, John.
An ethological study was undertaken in two primary schools in Natal to assess the effect of schistosome infections on the ordinary behaviour of schoolchildren in endemic areas. The following topics are discussed :- 1. The life cycle of the parasite, the possibility of an evolved tolerance of it, the likely limits of such tolerance, the possibility of selective exposure of certain kinds of children to the parasite, and the role of severity of infection in impairment. 2. Appropriate measures for investigating the impairment of the human host centring around the measurement of activity in the context of social interaction. 3. An ethological approach to evaluating human response to disease. Results indicate that there is selective exposure of more active, sociable children to the disease. In low-level infections of both Schistosoma haematobium and Schistosoma mansoni there is little evidence of a drop in energetic activity under normal conditions. In subjects with higher egg counts or simultaneous infections with both schistosomes, activity levels drop generally, and especially under hot, humid weather conditions where the drop in activity is greater than that for control subjects. This work throws doubt on earlier studies indicating that the parasite had no behavioural effect on humans: these studies did not control for selective exposure and may have used methods of low sensitivity and doubtful relevance to everyday life.
A study of certain correlates of introversion-extraversion among Indian high school and university students.
(1982) Balkisson, Bernard Arnold.; Ramfol, C.
No abstract available.
Some aspects of visual signalling and social organization in the vervet monkey (Cercopithecus aethiops pygerythrus).
(1982) Henzi, S. Peter.
This study uses data from three free-ranging and one caged troop to describe the visual signals identified in the South African subspecies of vervet monkey (Cercopithecus aethiops pygerythrus) and to then compare them to those seen at other localities and in other species. It further assesses some signals used specifically by adult males - those involving secondary sexual characters - in terms of male social strategies. In the pursuance of this four aspects of the literature were reviewed in detail. It is concluded that: 1. Natal vervets use fewer visual signals that do other species living in more open habitat. These signals are, however, very similar to those recorded in East Africa, while differing more from those isolated in the West African representitive of the vervet group. 2. Vervet troops are not closed units and migration - both into and out of the troop - occurs frequently. The data suggest that it is a male phenomenon related to the availability of females. 3. The signalling function of the genitals does not accord with that ascribed to them by Wickler (1967). Penile extensions are closely associated with aggressive behaviour by the signaller, and scrotal retractions with submissive behaviour. Associated with these structures are displays that facilitate their presentation to the recipients. 4. While males yawn more than any other age-sex class, largely for social and not physiological reasons, there is no clear evidence that yawns serve specifically to display the canines. Nevertheless, by being strongly associated with certain interactions they are presumed to accrue signal value. 5. As males move into troops where they must compete with unrelated males for the same resources, it is concluded that the genital signalling system has evolved to mediate male relationships. This is of special significance as the "multimale" system of vervets is regarded as being less developed than those of Papio or Macaca monkeys.

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