The relationship between the perception of own locus of control and aggression of adolescent boys

Aggression is increasingly seen in most parts of South African society. Aggressive behaviour of boys in secondary school often results from frustrations caused by perceived high expectations of others regarding the role, locus of control, and personality of boys. Locus of control plays an important role in a person’s perception concerning a situation and possible reactions to what is happening, or should be happening. A 56-item questionnaire, based on Rotter’s “Locus of control” questionnaire, and the DIAS Scale were used. The questionnaire was completed by 440 boys in Grades 9, 10, and 11. Various factor, item and differential statistical analyses were conducted. Three constructs were identified, i.e. physical, verbal, and indirect aggression. Results indicated that locus of control has a significant influence on verbal and indirect aggression. The differential analysis indicated that contextual variables (language of tuition, age, and grade) play a significant, but not substantial, role in aggression. Furthermore, boys with an internal locus of control are significantly and substantially less aggressive than boys with an external locus of control, with respect to physical, verbal and indirect aggression

Perceived basic needs and resources for the elderly in the peri-urban and rural communities in the Hhohho region in Swaziland

The purpose of the study was to explore and describe the basic needs and resources for meeting the needs of the elderly in the peri-urban and rural communities in the Hhohho region in Swaziland. A qualitative, exploratory, descriptive and contextual research design was used. The study population consisted of the male and female elderly aged from 60 years old and above, and key informants (health motivator, community leaders and members from welfare organizations that serve as advocates for the elderly in Swaziland). Purposive sampling was utilized to select participants who met the inclusion criteria. Data were collected using focus groups and individual in-depth face-to-face interviews till data saturation was achieved as evidenced by repeating information. Tesch’s method of qualitative data analysis was utilised to identify themes. A total of 30 elderly persons and eight key informants participated in this research. From the study findings the researcher identified the following themes: need for resources because of poverty; need for support because of the burden of caring for others; need for health care because of health challenges; need for company because of loneliness, and need for protection because of abuse of elderly persons. Recommendations were made for community nursing practice, nursing education, nursing research and the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare

An introduction to a postmodern approach in nursing research: discourse analysis Part 1

This article serves as an introduction to discourse analysis. It therefore does not give an account for the whole research process. Opsomming Hierdie artikel dien as 'n inleiding tot diskoers-analise. Dit beoog dus nie om die hole navorsingsproses breedvoerig te bespreek nie aangesien diskoers-analise 'n relatiefnuwe en multifasettige benadering in navorsing is. *Please note: This is a reduced version of the abstract. Please refer to PDF for full text

The analysis of a dominant gender discourse: Part 2

Gender dilemmas are formed where a woman's role and identity is constructed in alternative ways, ways which do not cohere with the ways prescribed and expected within a dominant gender discourse. Opsomming Gender-dilemmas wordgevorm waar 'n vrou se rol en identiteit gekonstrueer is op alternatiewe wyses wat nie ooreenstem met tradisionele konstruksies binne 'n dominante gender-diskoers nie. *Please note: This is a reduced version of the abstract. Please refer to PDF for full text

Life stories of families with a terminally ill child

Family units with a terminally ill child have a tendency to withdraw and this isolation may lead to problems in their mental health. A tendency with psychologists, clergy and helpers from other professions is to act as ideal experts on the lives of saddened people. From painful personal experience, this does not seem to enable acquiescence. Therefore, the aim of research on families with terminally ill children, was to explore and describe their lives and to develop an approach to facilitate their families to obtain acquiescence. In this article however, attention will be given to the life-world of families with terminally ill children. The research consists of two phases. In phase one the experiences of four families with terminally ill children are explored and described by means of phenomenological, unstructured, in-depth interviews. In phase two an acquiescence approach, which was designed for educational psychologists to facilitate families with terminally ill children to achieve acquiscence, is described. This approach is based on results from phase one. This article focuses on phase one. In this phase four families were interviewed individually, in the privacy of their homes. The interviews were audiotaped, and were transcribed for the purpose of data gathering. The data was analysed according to Tesch’s method and a literature control was performed to verify the results. Guba’s model for the validity of qualitative research was used

Art as projective medium in diagnosing psychological problems

From a qualitative study conducted with psychology- and art students in New York the researchers found that the students' drawings were mostly a reflection of their existing emotional status. Opsomming Die navorsers het 'n kwalitatiewe studie van sielkunde- en kunsstudente in New York onderneem en gevind dat die studente se sketse meestal 'n refleksie van hulle bestaande emosionele status is. *Please note: This is a reduced version of the abstract. Please refer to PDF for full text

The lived experience by psychiatric nurses of aggression and violence from patients in a Gauteng psychiatric institution

Caring for good people is difficult enough; to care for people who are either aggressive or violent is even more difficult. This is what psychiatric nurses working in the psychiatric institution in which research was done are exposed to on a daily basis. The aim of the research was to explore and describe the lived experience by psychiatric nurses of aggression and violence from patients in a Gauteng psychiatric institution. A qualitative, explorative, descriptive, and contextual study design was utilised. Data was collected by means of semi-structured interviews and naïve sketches. Tesch’s (Creswell, 2004:256) method of open coding and an independent coder were utilised for data analysis. This study shed some light on the lived experience by psychiatric nurses of aggression and violence from patients in a Gauteng psychiatric institution. The findings show that the level of violence and aggression to which psychiatric nurses are exposed is overwhelming and the consequences are alarming. The contributing factors to this violence and aggression are: the mental status and the conditions in which patients are admitted; the staff shortage; the lack of support among the members of the multidisciplinary team (MDT); and the lack of structured and comprehensive orientation among newly appointed staff members. As a result, psychiatric nurses are emotionally, psychologically, and physically affected. They then respond with the following emotions and behaviour: fear, anger, frustration, despair, hopelessness and helplessness, substance abuse, absenteeism, retaliation and the development of an “I don’t care” attitude

Nurses' perceptions of facilitating genuineness in a nurseepatient relationship

Background: Genuineness was highlighted as an important concept when nurses' perceptions of facilitating a therapeutic relationship were assessed in a study conducted in private general hospital wards. Training courses are mainly professionally orientated and little attention is given to genuineness, which is underpinned by values and influenced by culture and self-awareness. Reflection on patients' feelings enables mindfulness in the nurse—patient relationship, but nurses often act on instinct or rely on learned knowledge and skills. Despite the increased emphasis on virtue ethics and honest disclosure, hope is offered but nurses are often not honest with themselves or in their response to patients.This poses a challenge when genuineness is facilitated. In this article, nurses' perceptions of facilitating genuineness will be discussed. Method: To assess nurses' genuineness, a quantitative, contextual, deductive and descriptive study was conducted. A purposive sample of nurses was taken from private general hospitals in Gauteng, South Africa. Nurses' (n = 181) perceptions of facilitating genuineness in a nurse—patient relationship were self-assessed on a five-point scale in a questionnaire. Data analysis: Descriptive statistics and non-parametric statistical techniques were used. Specific hypotheses were tested to identify whether statistically significant differences in perceptions of facilitating genuineness existed between two or more groups. Results: When groups were compared, statistically significant differences were identified in nurses' perceptions of facilitating genuineness with respect to age, years' experience as a nurse and qualifications. It is recommended that nurses' awareness of genuineness and its facilitation should involve learning through socialisation and self-awareness