General comments for the postgard conference 2008

It is hoped that visitors to the blog that attended the conference would post there comments about what they thought of the conference.

Exploring the possible relationship between conformity to stereotypical masculinity, and the acceptance of rape myths: Barry

Barry Lachlan Kevin Viljoen is an honours student at Howard College. His project was conducted at a male single sex, government school, with the specific aim of identifying the presents of two variables amongst participants. The two variables being, firstly that of the participants level of subscription to a stereotypical and traditional masculinity, followed by establishing the participants level of rape myth acceptance. From the initial scores received by the participants for the respective variables, it is investigated as to whether or not a correlation does exist between the scores obtained for these two variables.

Psychology in the varnacular:Nolwandle, Sinenhlanhla, Nondumiso, Ndumiso, Zabathembu, Ayanda, Thabisile, Nandisa

The aim of this initiative is to develop indigenous languages as languages of science and technology. This initiative was started because research has shown that students learn easier when taught in their mother-tongue. The University Council approved UKZN’s policy of bilingualism, with English and isiZulu being the two languages of instruction, as these are the most widely spoken in KZN. The translation task team, were given the task to translate Psychology terms from first and second year tutorials into isiZulu. The translation of terms was done through brainstorming and the analysis of each term. There were many challenges faced by the team during translation. Among these were firstly, Psychology being set in the Western context and secondly, the danger of changing the concept when translating. We reflect on these and other challenges in this presentation

Indianness and its objectives: Prathna

Prathna Singh is an honours student at UKZN. Her project is a qualitative study aimed at investigating Indian university students’ notions of contact with other race groups. Indians from segregated schools, as well as those who were schooled in desegregated school contexts were included in the sample. The study was particularly concerned with the working models of contact deployed by such groups

Strategies to improve adverse event reporting in a community based intervention trial in KwaZulu Natal: Sandile & Mbongeni

Sandile Magwenyane and Mbongeni PG Ngcoya are Community Coordinators at the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC), working at Project Accept in Vulindlela. Project Accept is part of a multi-site research trial that is testing the efficacy of providing three strategies- community mobilization, mobile voluntary counseling and testing, and post test support services, in reducing the prevalence of HIV in communities. The major focus of their work involves coordinating the study in implementing the intervention

The sexual double standard: gendered differences in attitudes toward sexuality: Ahmed

Ahmed Goolam is an Honours student at UKZN. Working on a descriptive quantitative study using standardized instruments to identify whether a traditional double standard exists in society amongst adolescents. As well as to measure the relationship between adolescent attitudes toward sexuality (gendered differences) and the degree to which they adhere to the sexual double standard.

A Comparison of the Unmatched Count Technique and a Self-Report: Marche'

Marche' Grendon is a Psychology honours student at UKZN. Interested in exploring different factors that may put the young adult population at risk for HIV infection. The current study aimed to firstly compare two different methodological techniques, the self-report questionnaire and the unmatched count technique questionnaire, to test which the two is better suited to estimate reliable and accurate data concerning sensitive behaviours such as risky sex and risky sex following alcohol consumption. This research study was conducted at UKZN with a sample of 545 students.

Understanding the Breast Cancer Experience of Women: Exploring the Significance of the Doctor-Patient Relationship’: Sarah

Sarah Gordon is a psychology honours student at Howard college. Her project is qualitative, interpretive, hermeneutic research, focusing on South African women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer and who have access to private health care although they may also use a combination of public and private health care services throughout the course of their diagnosis and treatment. Five women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer and live in Durban were sampled. Semi-structured interviews were conducted.

An investigation into the relationship between perceptions of school connectedness: Joanne, Sara, Avanya and Wendy

This is a joint project done by: Joanne Fanner, Sara Naicker, Avanya Naidoo, and Wendy Penfold. The focus of this study is the school context, in particular how perceptions of school connectedness interface with health risk behaviours, more specifically substance abuse, violence-related behaviours, sexual risk behaviours and suicidal ideation. School connectedness encompasses a range of aspects pertaining to a learner’s sense of well-being at school, namely closeness, encouragement and caring among peers, staff and the general school environment

The Link between Arousal and Identifiability in a Stereotype Threat Situation: Ross

Ross Greener is currently completing his honours degree in psychology at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg campus. He is presentation is based on data that was originally collected by a previous study on stereotype threat, in a novel way, in order to gain a better understanding of the workings of stereotype threat. By using heart rate data, performance data and identifiability manipulation. The objective of the current study is to gain an understanding of the link between arousal and identifiability in a stereotype threat condition.

Understanding Identity Construction from the perspective of young South Africans and Tracking the future: from school to where?: One

One Selohilwe's project comprises of two research projects namely Understanding Identity Construction from the perspective of young South Africans from Rural Communities (Tshambi, 2007) and Tracking the future: from school to where? (Selohilwe, 2007). The objectives of these projects was to find out how these young people feel about their lives, their worlds; what and how they think about schooling, post schooling and work in the context of the newly democratized South Africa where there is an assumption that opportunities are given on merit as opposed to the inequalities that existed according to racial differences during the apartheid governance. The research aims to find out if this is really the case from the point of view of the young people. It further aims to gain a perspective on how these young people construct their identities in the given context.

Identity management strategies of humanities students: Letitia

Letitia Rambally is currently completing her Honours degree in psychology at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. Her presentation focuses on the degree of self-relevance and the role that stereotyping has on an individual’s construction of their identity. She has used discourse analysis to determine the various methods that individuals use in order to position themselves either negatively or positively, in terms of their individual and group identities.

“Sticks and Stones”: Social Dominance, Bullying and Early Adolescent Boys: Leigh

Leigh Andrea Adams is a Clinical Psychology Masters student at the University of KwaZulu Natal, Howard College campus. She is presenting on the ways adolescent males’ understand and experience bullying within a school context. The focus of the research is on the manner in which this bullying transpires as well as the personal and social values young men prescribe to bullies, victims or bully-victims.

How do children understand and construct stigma in the context of HIV/AIDS?: Julia

Julia Goodall is a student at the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal. Her presentation focuses on the social process of othering, an aspect of how people perceive and construct stigma in their specific social settings. . An understanding of how and why people employ othering is integral to the success of future HIV/AIDS interventions. This study indicated that the process of othering might be a necessary psychological response which is employed in an attempt to cope with having to live with HIV/AIDS.

The effect of inter-group conflict and competition on stereotype threat in a realistic group setting: Tamlyn

Tamlyn is an honours student at Pmb campus. 102 students from the faculty of Science and Agriculture in the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal-Pietermarizburg were selected using pseudo-random sampling strategies. In groups of 2-3 these participants were provided with information and tasks which would introduce and confirm a positive or negative stereotype that would threaten their social identity. In addition they were made aware that they would be competing against a similar group of humanities students for a scarce resource. The groups completed a computer programme base on Tajfel’s matrices which was designed to simulate an interaction between themselves (the science group) and the opposing group (the humanities group).

Bobbi Bear: Community project, Howard College

Carry Suckling's presentation focuses on a community project conducted by Masters students at the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal. Bobbi Bear is a Non Profit Organisation that provides a non-threatening means for child victims of sexual abuse to communicate the nature of abuse and prevent secondary abuse at the point of rescue. The aim of the program was in essence to develop a support intervention for the non-professional Child Safety Officers (CSOs). The intervention comprised a six session supportive containment, psycho-educational and counselling skills programme based on an initial focus group with the Child Safety Officers.

The perceived impact of spiritual beliefs on coping with the pressures and stresses of university life: Lindiwe

Lindiwe is a Psychology Honours student at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg campus. She interested in training as a Counselling Psychologist. One of my interests is in the role of religion/spirituality in individual and community development. Her creent study focuses on the relationship between stress and coping mechanisms in university students who consider themselves as spiritual, with special reference to the use of spiritual coping mechisms. Intensive interviews, a focus group and a personal diary were used with 6 students to explore their experience of stress and coping mechanisms, in order to understand whether religion is perceived to help or hinder them when dealing with their daily hassles

Stereotypes: Boithatelo

Boithatelo Mokoena is currently doing honours in psychology. Has diverse interests under the field of psychology; this includes child mental health, the role of culture in a person’s psychological well being, and different aspects of social psychology such as stereotypes. Her currebt study focuses on stereotyping as a social construct is a great part of social functioning. Through the use of stereotypes about others and oneself people learn to behave in particular ways under different situations, in which according to them may be viewed as appropriate

The emotional impact of working with children in adversity: Farina

Farina is a Research masters student at Pmb. The focus of her project on the amount of challenges faced by Child and youth facilitators (CYF) who live in circumstances of extreme adversity. Some of these challenges require special personal qualities and training befitting the nature of their work. Yet in the face of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, many CYF do not receive the care and support that they require to work with the traumatic consequences of the pandemic. The success and impact of psychological interventions with children hinges upon the abilities, motivations and dedication of child and youth facilitators

The telling of stories: the value of izinganekwane and iintsomi: Lebo and Onini

Lebo and Onini are Psychology honour students at Pmb Campus. Their project reports on the findings of two qualitative research studies conducted in KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape on the practice of telling stories, the value of these stories and the consequences of their demise. The question this presentation raises is: should the practice of telling iintsomi and izinganegwane be retained or discarded?

The Tembaletu Community project: Jared, Wendy, Nandisa & Thabo

This project was a collaborative effort between the University of KwaZulu - Natal (Pietermaritzburg campus) psychology masters class of 2008: Jared, Wendy, Nandisa and Thabo together with the management of the Tembeletu Community Education Centre (TCEC), also based in Pietermaritzburg. In short, this organization’s primary activities are to provide learners in and around Pietermaritzburg with educational facilities and resources. The development of a database to help track and monitor the concerns of TCEC’s clients. A basic counselling skills workshop and referral file for the TCEC staff. A multilingual (English/ isiZulu) interactive career education DVD followed by a cohort study. The purpose the project is not only to use the above mentioned conceptualisation as an informant of the DVD but also to develop something that is accessible to all school learners. In this way many of the problems currently facing career education will be addressed, because a product such as this not only services the needs of school learners but the needs of South Africa as well.

Time perspective and its relation to health related behaviours among students of the university of kwazulu natal in pietermaritsburg: Sanele

Sanele Zuma is a psychology honours student at the University of KwaZulu Natal in Pietermaritzburg. He aspires to be an Educational Psychologist who will specialise in research on impediments to academic achievement. A correlational study of 251 students was used to test the association time perspective has with certain health variables using the ZTPI scale and the GHQ among other measures. No significant associations were found between TP and health-promotive behaviours while a past time perspective was associated with less alcoh

Access To Antiretroviral Treatment By Children In KwaZulu-Natal Province: A Qualitative Exploratory Study Into Factors Influencing Poor Access: Roger

Roger Phili's study employed qualitative research methods to explore psychosocial and health system factors that influence slow paediatric access to ART in KZN from the parents and caregivers perspectives. A qualitative design was used because of its ability to enter deep into the social issues influencing participant’s behavioural decisions which may be unknown. The ecological theory was used to formulate an interview schedule that was used to conduct in-depth interviews with adults (parents or guardians) who were bringing their children for ART-services and those attending these services themselves and not their children at Edendale and King Edward Hospitals in KZN.

Community phantasies: Psychodynamic musings on a service learning community intervention:Kristy , Debbie, Christine, Christina & Janine

The Children in Community (CHIC) group is made up five Masters students currently registered in the School of Psychology at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermartizburg. Kristy Greener and Christine McLachlan are Clinical Psychology M1 students; Christina Mitchell and Debbie Marais are Counselling Psychology M1 students; and Janine Upton is a Research Psychology Masters student. There are two levels to this presentation. On the surface is a community project that involved the goals and outcomes of multiple stakeholders. Below the surface lies the messy subliminal text of community work, which will unfold in the subtext of this presentation.

A quantitative study looking at the relationship between ideas and practices of masculinity: Paul

Paul Bushell is an Intern Psychologist. His study builds on from an honours project conducted at The University of KwaZulu-Natal, this research has attempted to further explore the relationship between ideas and practices of masculinity, and help-seeking behavior amongst young South African men. It has been hypothesized that the normative ideas and practices of masculinity in this context will act as a barrier to help-seeking behavior amongst this sample. This research has grounded itself in a social constructionist approach to masculinity, drawing heavily on the work of Connell (2000, 2003) and Addis and Mahalik (2003).

Primary Care Information Systems and Control Trial Proposals – In the Internship Year: Graeme

Graeme Hoddinott is a research psychology masters intern at The Africa Centre. His presentation is a reflection on the tasks he has undertaken in his internship year. Data from the two projects he has been involved in will be used to support these reflections. The first project is an established health informatics investigation into the use of sophisticated technologies in rural primary care settings. The second area of work is in the planning and proposing of a large-scale control trial of a school-based youth intervention into HIV incidence.

Understanding risk and protective influences for HIV infected youth in South Africa CHAMP:Claudia, Lindsay, Daniel, Sibu, and Colleen

This a community project which is a joint work by: Claudia Correia Marques, Lindsay Mackay, Daniel dén Hollander, Sibu Mthembe and Colleen Fouché from Howard College. The aim of this study was to develop an understanding of the key risk and protective influences for HIV infected youth and their caregivers in South Africa with the view to establishing relevance and cultural congruence in the adaptation of these programmes for HIV+ youth and their caregivers in South Africa.

An exploratory analysis of human figure drawings of a sick person done by children in the course of the NRF project mapping: Lindsay

Lindsay Smail is an Honours student at UKZN. Her interests include children, autism, the experience and development of emotions and the effects religion has on an individual's psychology. This project is an exploratory analysis of drawings of sick people done by Grade 3 and Grade 6 South African children in a context with high rates of HIV/AIDS and poverty. The drawings were done as part of an NRF project on barriers to learning (Muthukrishna, 2006). The drawings were analysed used the H-T-P test (Buck, 1992). In addition, the drawings were examined for any indicators of sickness that the learner might have included.

Contextualizing the Debate Around the Criminalization of Intentional Transmission of HIV: Lauren

Lauren Kleutsch is a Master’s student at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health in the U.S. She is completing her degree in International Health, with a focus on Social and Behavioral Interventions. As part of her program, she is currently interning with Project Accept, a multi-site research trial testing the efficacy of a community-based model of HIV Voluntary Counseling and Testing. She works with the Qualitative Assessment team to understand the impact of this innovative intervention, and is currently writing an article for publication using the Project Accept data to understand the lived experience of “intentional transmission,” and connect it to the current debate around the criminalization of HIV transmission.

A qualitative investigation of factors affecting students’ performance at university: Nudhar

Nudhar is an Psychology honours student at UKZN. Her research project aimed to have in-depth contextual factors related to high and low academic achievement in the University of KwaZulu Natal. Thematic analysis was used to analye two focus groups which provided a broad understanding of the reasons which contributed to one group of students performing well in high school and then do not achieve as well at university and for another group of students who did not perform well in high school but have succeeded at university.

Working with Community Based Mobilisers (CBMs) to promote HIV testing in a community based intervention trial in rural KwaZulu Natal: Thokozani

Thokozani is a Community Relation and Mobilisation Coordinator at the Human Sciences Research (HSRC), working at Project Accept in Vulindlela. Project Accept is part of a multi-site research trial that is testing the efficacy of providing three strategies- community mobilization, mobile voluntary counseling and testing, and post test support services, in reducing the prevalence of HIV in communities. The major focus of his work involves coordinating the study in implementing the intervention as well as in ensuring that community relations are maintained within the study.

Understanding the Preferred and Actual Sources of Sex Education; and Sexual Attitudes of Adolescent Girls in a Single Sex School: Susan

Susan Penning is a Psychology Honours student at Howard college. Her focus is on the sensitive area of sex education has become more relevant with the introduction of Life Orientation (LO) into the South African schools curriculum. Teachers, parents and government departments have an idea of what needs to be communicated to learners; primarily “sexuality”, HIV/AIDS, teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections. Most research is framed within a discourse of adolescent sexuality problem resolution and the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Descriptive research was conducted in order to understand sexual education so that effective LO curriculum’s can be designed and implemented.