Electronic Library of Scientific Literature - © Academic Electronic Press
Volume 43 / No. 2 / 2001
Volume 43 / No. 2 / 2001
Judora J. SPANGENBERG, Kevin HENDERSON
Department of Psychology, University of Stellenbosch, Private Bag X1, Matieland, 7602, Republic of South Africa
Abstract: To examine the relationships between the intensity of stress, types of stressors and coping strategies of Black South African adolescents, a demographic questionnaire, the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Adolescent Stress Scale (ASSC) and Adolescent Coping Orientation for Problem Experiences (A-COPE) were completed by 102 Black adolescents attending a secondary school in Cape Town, South Africa. The intensity of stress experienced by this sample was higher than that reported for most other adolescent samples in the research literature. Scholastic and career problems were the most prevalent stressors and abuse at home the least prevalent stressor. Solving family problems was the most prevalent coping strategy while seeking professional support was the least prevalent coping strategy. There were no significant relationships between intensity of stress and types of stressors. A significant negative relationship was found between intensity of stress and the coping strategy of ventilating feelings. Originating from a rural homeland significantly predicted a lower intensity of stress. It was concluded that the collectivist, supportive world-view adhered to by rural Black South Africans, known as ubuntu, probably served as a buffer against stress in Black South African adolescents from a rural background.
Key words: stress, coping, adolescents
pp. 77-90
Karel PAULIK
University of Ostrava, Philosophical Faculty, Department of Psychology and Social Work, 701 03 Ostrava, Realni 5, Czech Republic
Abstract: The aim of the research was to examine the moderating effect of hardiness, optimism and self-confidence on subjective evaluation of occupational stress among 158 university lecturers in the Czech Republic. Scores were obtained using questionnaires assessing hardiness, teachers' stress evaluation and the taxonomy of stressful situations. The sources of stress found in the present sample of Czech university teachers proved to be similar to those in the comparison work load of teachers at other Czech schools. The results are comparable with research findings from other countries. Hardiness, optimism and self-confidence proved to be effective as buffering factors against the impact of stress among lecturers.
Key words: teacher stress, hardiness, self-confidence, optimism
pp. 91-100
Ingrid BRDAR, Majda RIJAVEC
University of Rijeka, Faculty of Philosophy, Department of Psychology, Trg I. Klobucarica 1, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia
University of Zagreb, Teachers Academy
Abstract: The present study is an attempt to investigate parents' perceptions of their children's coping strategies with school failure. The School Failure Coping Scale was administered to 387 elementary school students aged from 10 to 15 years (241 girls and 146 boys) in order to assess their coping strategies with school failure. The same scale was administered to their parents asking them to assess coping strategies of their children when confronted with bad grade in school.
Although there were some differences in coping strategies used by children and the perception of these strategies on behalf of parents, the latter were generally able to correctly predict their children's coping strategies. Parent's prediction of a child's coping strategy accounted for 26% of its problem solving coping strategy variance, 30% of emotions coping strategy variance, 24% of its forgetting coping strategy variance and 34% of social support variance. Parent's best prediction was for social support and the worst for problem solving coping strategy.
Key words: coping strategy, school failure, parent's perception
pp. 101-112
Andrea GECKOVA, Jitse P.van DIJK
Institute of Social Medicine, Chair of Medicine, PJS University, Kosice, Slovak Republic
Department of Social Medicine - Northern Center for Healthcare Research, University of Groningen, The Netherlands
Abstract: The impact of peer behavior on smoking, alcohol consumption drug use and sports pursuits by pals was followed on a sample of 2616 Slovak adolescents (including 1370 boys, mean age 15 years) within the project Health Inequalities in Adolescents. The data were collected in the form of questionnaires. A difference of statistical significance in peer impact between the group of boys and girls was noted solely as regards alcohol consumption and sports pursuits. Boys, when compared to girls, have more pals consuming alcohol at least once a week and also such as practice sport on a weekly basis. The influence of peers or pals proved of statistical significance in all the constellations followed (peer smoking - daily/experience with smoking, frequency of smoking, attitude toward smoking, alcohol consumption by peers - at least once a week/experience with alcohol consumption, frequency of alcohol consumption, peer intoxication - at least once a month/experience with alcohol consumption, frequency of alcohol consumption, use of marijuana or hashish by peers/experience with use of marijuana or hashish, attitude toward drug use, sports pursuit by peers - every week/frequency of sports pursuit). The greater the number of risk behaving pals, the greater was the probability of the corresponding risk behavior occurring in the adolescents.
Key words: smoking, alcohol consumption, drug use, sports activities, peer impact, adolescence
pp. 113-123
Tomas KOVAC
Research Institute of Child Psychology and Pathopsychology, Trnavska 112, 821 02 Bratislava, Slovak Republic
Abstract: The aim of the study was to prove some relationships, if any, between the "construct" rigidity and some creativity (divergent thinking) variables. It is concerned with the criterion validity of a relatively new rigidity scale by comparison with the results in proved creativity tests by E.P. Torrance, J.P. Guilford, K.K. Urban and A.N. Leontiev. The results showed that rigidity as measured by the applied scale is a negative component of creative thinking abilities.
Key words: rigidity, creativity, fluency, flexibility, originality, creative memory
pp. 125-129
Vladimir DOCKAL
Research Institute for Child Psychology and Pathopsychology, Trnavska 112, 821 02 Bratislava, Slovak Republic
Abstract: The author defines giftedness (or talent) as a complex of properties responsible for regulating man's activities. He then differentiates between impairment of psychic, physiological and anatomical structures, disorders of the function (health impairment), and handicap (social disadvantage). He goes to show that giftedness and handicap, as also giftedness and impairment are reciprocally independent and may occur in any combination. He supports this thesis with case histories from his own practice. Finally, he summarizes recommendations for identifying and promoting talent in handicapped children.
Key words: giftedness, disability, handicap
pp. 131-136
Julia HALAMOVA
Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, Comenius University, Gondova 2, Bratislava 818 01, Slovak Republic
Abstract: The main purpose of the presented study was to examine the relationship between two concepts of psychological sense of community in various groups: the theory of psychological sense of community by D. McMillan and D. Chavis (1986) measured by the Chertok's Perceived Sense of Community Scale (1999) and the Scott Peck's notion of community (1994, 1995) evaluated by The Scale of Community Descriptors (Sadovska, Nanistova, 2000). The two scales are so far the only ones to measure psychological sense of community in a group regardless of its context. The questionnaires including the scales were administered to a sample of 245 members of various groups (religious, work, student and scout groups) from Slovakia. We found a strong positive relationship between these two scales and their dimensions and strong relationships of both the scales separately with other criteria, such as satisfaction with the functioning of the group, perceived positive influence of the group on personal, family and spiritual life of its members, belonging to a group with shared set of values and perceiving one's own group as growing. According to the results, the author assumes the existence of a common basis of psychological sense of community for all kinds of groups/communities regardless of their specific context.
Key words: psychological sense of community, group, measurement instruments
pp. 137-148
Gayatri RAINA, Jagat M. JERATH, Abha Kapila MALHOTRA, Prahbhjot MALHI
Department of Psychology, Himachal Pradesh University, Summer Hill, Shimla - 171005, India
Department of Psychology, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India
Department of History, Himachal Pradesh University, Shimla, India
Department of Pediatrics, Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India
Abstract: The study had for aim to investigate sex preferences for children and the impact of socio-economic characteristics on such preferences in the urban setting of the state of Himachal Pradesh, India. The sample comprised of 417 mothers residing in the capital city of Shimla. Sex preferences for children were measured at the individual level using the Coombs IS index. The findings indicated that preference for male children is very strong among urban mothers in the state. The respondents overwhelmingly preferred to have sons (IS5-IS7 = 58 per cent), and a little less than one-third of the women desired a balanced sex composition (IS4 = 30 per cent). Only 12 per cent (IS1-IS3) of the women had a preference for girls. The results of the regression analysis indicated that the mother's education was the most significant predictor of sex preferences indicating that preference for male children decreased with an increase in the level of mother's education. Cross tabulations revealed that son preference declined dramatically only after 12+ years of schooling. It is concluded that preference for sons is very strong and pervasive in the urban areas of the state of Himachal Pradesh and there is an urgent need to enhance the education among women in the state. Moreover, literacy enhancing programs alone may not bring about a reduction in preference for sons.
Key words: sex preferences for children, socio-economic status, mothers' education
pp. 149-160
Damian KOVAC
Institute of Experimental Psychology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska cesta 9, 813 64 Bratislava, Slovak Republic
Abstract: The ongoing attempts at solving the problems of mankind at the turn of two millennia are conducive to an improvement of the quality of life. This phenomenon stemming from the position occupied by diverse branches of science has grown into a search for integrating criteria. One such is the "Human Development Index" (HDI) monitored by UN, or the "Happy-Life Expectancy" (HLE - R. Veenhoven). The author has succeeded to uncover noteworthy relationships between the number of psychologists in various countries of the world and the above criteria, viz. the number of psychologists shows correlations of a high statistical significance with both the HDI and HLE (sic!?).
Key words: quality of life, satisfaction, well-being, happiness, Human Development Index (HDI), Happy-Life Expectancy (HLE)
pp. 161-167
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