Manifestation of authenticity within temperament study
- Authors: Payne, Clarence
- Date: 2012-10-29
- Subjects: Authenticity (Philosophy) , Temperament , Leadership
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:10453 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/7919
- Description: M.Phil. , Numerous authors have highlighted that there is a dire crisis in leadership for which a new type of leader is required: an authentic leader. Greater authenticity is required from leaders if they are to restore the trust of their followers in them. Authenticity is furthermore something that others must attribute to a person and cannot be expressed freely. The expectations and roles of leaders are such that they have to control the express of their inner authenticity. The influence of temperament on the individual is such that every person’s experience and conceptualisation of authenticity could potentially differ from that of another. In light of the aforementioned the purpose of this study was to explore how leaders from different temperament types manage their individual authenticity to add more value to themselves as well as to others. The study followed a qualitative research approach and made use of the purposeful sampling technique. The Keirsey Temperament Sorter II was utilised to identify the temperament types of research participants with whom semi-structured interviews were conducted. The study found that leaders across the four temperament types of Guardian, Idealist, Artisan and Rational define authenticity as a commitment to the true ‘self’, while self-awareness was identified as a critical component in the management of authenticity.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Payne, Clarence
- Date: 2012-10-29
- Subjects: Authenticity (Philosophy) , Temperament , Leadership
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:10453 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/7919
- Description: M.Phil. , Numerous authors have highlighted that there is a dire crisis in leadership for which a new type of leader is required: an authentic leader. Greater authenticity is required from leaders if they are to restore the trust of their followers in them. Authenticity is furthermore something that others must attribute to a person and cannot be expressed freely. The expectations and roles of leaders are such that they have to control the express of their inner authenticity. The influence of temperament on the individual is such that every person’s experience and conceptualisation of authenticity could potentially differ from that of another. In light of the aforementioned the purpose of this study was to explore how leaders from different temperament types manage their individual authenticity to add more value to themselves as well as to others. The study followed a qualitative research approach and made use of the purposeful sampling technique. The Keirsey Temperament Sorter II was utilised to identify the temperament types of research participants with whom semi-structured interviews were conducted. The study found that leaders across the four temperament types of Guardian, Idealist, Artisan and Rational define authenticity as a commitment to the true ‘self’, while self-awareness was identified as a critical component in the management of authenticity.
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Biological contributors to well-being : the relationships between temperament, character strengths and resilience
- Authors: Hutchinson, Ann-Marie
- Date: 2011-11-08
- Subjects: Temperament , Character tests , Resilience (Personality trait)
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:7262 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/3936
- Description: D. Litt. et Phil. , In the past, psychology has typically focused on identifying and treating mental illness, psychological deficits and disabilities, and research was often concerned with the respective roles of nature and nurture in behavioural problems. A number of psychologists and researchers have initiated a paradigm shift to one of positive psychology which emphasises enhancing personal strengths, developing and maintaining well-being, and encouraging positive emotions. Little research however has thus far been done to investigate the role of nature and nurture in psychological wellness. The current study addressed this dearth in the scientific literature by investigating the possible relationships between temperament and psychological well-being, specifically character strengths and resilience. The study was based on the assumption that positive emotionality and psychological well-being may have biological roots, just as psychopathology has been found to have biological underpinnings. The biologically-based construct of temperament refers to the innate and stable aspect of an individual that impacts thoughts, feelings and behaviours. Psychological wellbeing, for the purposes of the current study, incorporated two elements, namely character strengths and resilience. Character strengths may be defined as positive characteristics within individuals. Resilience refers to coping with, and perhaps even thriving, when faced with challenging life situations.
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- Authors: Hutchinson, Ann-Marie
- Date: 2011-11-08
- Subjects: Temperament , Character tests , Resilience (Personality trait)
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:7262 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/3936
- Description: D. Litt. et Phil. , In the past, psychology has typically focused on identifying and treating mental illness, psychological deficits and disabilities, and research was often concerned with the respective roles of nature and nurture in behavioural problems. A number of psychologists and researchers have initiated a paradigm shift to one of positive psychology which emphasises enhancing personal strengths, developing and maintaining well-being, and encouraging positive emotions. Little research however has thus far been done to investigate the role of nature and nurture in psychological wellness. The current study addressed this dearth in the scientific literature by investigating the possible relationships between temperament and psychological well-being, specifically character strengths and resilience. The study was based on the assumption that positive emotionality and psychological well-being may have biological roots, just as psychopathology has been found to have biological underpinnings. The biologically-based construct of temperament refers to the innate and stable aspect of an individual that impacts thoughts, feelings and behaviours. Psychological wellbeing, for the purposes of the current study, incorporated two elements, namely character strengths and resilience. Character strengths may be defined as positive characteristics within individuals. Resilience refers to coping with, and perhaps even thriving, when faced with challenging life situations.
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Anxiety and temperament characteristics of competitive cricketers
- Authors: Bath, Russell Paul
- Date: 2010-11-22T10:05:20Z
- Subjects: Cricket players , Anxiety , Temperament
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:7020 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/3527
- Description: M.A. , Sport in South Africa forms part of the fabric of our society. Unfortunately research into the psychology of sport has largely been overlooked in South Africa and where it has been applied it was based mainly on results arrived at in other countries. The development of future cricketers has enjoyed great success in both Australia and South Africa, with many current international cricketers having been through the respective Academies. The identification of future talent may be facilitated through the use of appropriate psychological interventions. The role of anxiety in sports has been much researched over the past four decades. There have been many theories advanced with regards the role that anxiety plays in effecting sporting performance. There is however a lack of research in a South African context. Foreign studies have found that anxiety (somatic) tends to follow an inverted-U and extremes of anxiety will negatively impact on performance. State anxiety has been found to enjoy an area or zone in which an atWetes performance is enhanced and outside of which performance is negatively effected. Research has found contradictory evidence as to the relationship between cognitive anxiety and performance. It is proposed that there is a negative relationship between the two. Research with regards to temperament has not been conducted in a cricketing context. The Iceberg Profile posits that there is a personality profile which identifies elite athletes. Studies have been conducted using the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory and have found that vigour, extraversion and the interest variable were significantly different between athletes and non-athletes. In order to establish whether there is a statistically significant difference in the levels of anxiety between successful and unsuccessful cricketers, three measuring instruments were used. The Revised NEG Personality Inventory, The Sport Competition Anxiety Test and the Profile of Mood States. Temperament differences were examined using the Revised NEG Personality Inventory and the Profile of Mood States. The two groups consisted of 20 male cricketers each. The successful group were all part of the 1999 Plascon Cricket Academy and the other cricketers were from non-premier league cricket sides. The study revealed that the successful group were significantly lower on the Neuroticism scale of the NEG PI-R and were less vulnerable to stress and anger than the unsuccessful group. The study also found that the successful cricketers were more extravert, had more energy, were more receptive to emotions and more sympathetic, less trusting and modest, more straightforward and had higher levels of aspiration than the unsuccessful cricketers. This supported some of the findings of the foreign studies. The Iceberg profile was not supported using the Profile of Mood States however, the fatigue sub-scale was found to be higher for the unsuccessful group. The Sport Competition Anxiety Test did not reveal significant results. A discussion of the results, limitations of the study and recommendations for future research follow this.
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- Authors: Bath, Russell Paul
- Date: 2010-11-22T10:05:20Z
- Subjects: Cricket players , Anxiety , Temperament
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:7020 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/3527
- Description: M.A. , Sport in South Africa forms part of the fabric of our society. Unfortunately research into the psychology of sport has largely been overlooked in South Africa and where it has been applied it was based mainly on results arrived at in other countries. The development of future cricketers has enjoyed great success in both Australia and South Africa, with many current international cricketers having been through the respective Academies. The identification of future talent may be facilitated through the use of appropriate psychological interventions. The role of anxiety in sports has been much researched over the past four decades. There have been many theories advanced with regards the role that anxiety plays in effecting sporting performance. There is however a lack of research in a South African context. Foreign studies have found that anxiety (somatic) tends to follow an inverted-U and extremes of anxiety will negatively impact on performance. State anxiety has been found to enjoy an area or zone in which an atWetes performance is enhanced and outside of which performance is negatively effected. Research has found contradictory evidence as to the relationship between cognitive anxiety and performance. It is proposed that there is a negative relationship between the two. Research with regards to temperament has not been conducted in a cricketing context. The Iceberg Profile posits that there is a personality profile which identifies elite athletes. Studies have been conducted using the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory and have found that vigour, extraversion and the interest variable were significantly different between athletes and non-athletes. In order to establish whether there is a statistically significant difference in the levels of anxiety between successful and unsuccessful cricketers, three measuring instruments were used. The Revised NEG Personality Inventory, The Sport Competition Anxiety Test and the Profile of Mood States. Temperament differences were examined using the Revised NEG Personality Inventory and the Profile of Mood States. The two groups consisted of 20 male cricketers each. The successful group were all part of the 1999 Plascon Cricket Academy and the other cricketers were from non-premier league cricket sides. The study revealed that the successful group were significantly lower on the Neuroticism scale of the NEG PI-R and were less vulnerable to stress and anger than the unsuccessful group. The study also found that the successful cricketers were more extravert, had more energy, were more receptive to emotions and more sympathetic, less trusting and modest, more straightforward and had higher levels of aspiration than the unsuccessful cricketers. This supported some of the findings of the foreign studies. The Iceberg profile was not supported using the Profile of Mood States however, the fatigue sub-scale was found to be higher for the unsuccessful group. The Sport Competition Anxiety Test did not reveal significant results. A discussion of the results, limitations of the study and recommendations for future research follow this.
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Understanding the role of ego, temperament and self esteem in the process of developing personal leadership skills
- Authors: Harrop-Allin, Mary Anne
- Date: 2010-11-09T06:33:12Z
- Subjects: Industrial psychology , Leadership , Success , Ego (Psychology) , Temperament , Self-esteem
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:6959 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/3468
- Description: D.Phil. , “This thesis is a study about life, broken relationships, friendships, adapting to change and personal growth. It is a study about nurturing oneself and developing those qualities within oneself that will ensure a life of quality, harmony and inner peace. Autoethnography is an unconventional research method that is seldom used in qualitative research circles – the social sciences or human resource management spheres in South Africa. The contents of this thesis will be presented to an audience of social psychologists, social scientists, human resource managers, academics, school principals, teachers, parents, and divorcees, couples contemplating divorce, youth leaders and personal, interpersonal and professional leadership facilitators. The intention is to provide the reader with the opportunity to learn vicariously through the reading of the stories of other human beings, to identify with these stories and, as a result, to feel motivated to effect personal and social change. Reading about others enables us to learn more about ourselves and to feel in community with other human beings. This work presents an autoethnographic account of divorce and the emotional ramifications of this experience. Performance in the workplace is routinely compromised when individuals within the workplace are emotionally distressed. This thesis aims at highlighting the way in which coping strategies may motivate personal growth that will, in turn, enable the individual to adapt positively to change while performing optimally in the workplace. This work is set in the teaching environment of a primary school. The stories presented illustrate the myriad issues that are laid bare when worlds drift apart. Each story highlights challenges that will need to be addressed during the divorce process. The issues addressed in this thesis include love, compassion, leadership, values, principles, friendship, self-esteem, ego, selfexpression and forgiveness. The successful resolution of each challenge and the subsequent learning process will result in personal growth and a pervasive feeling of inner peace and harmony.
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- Authors: Harrop-Allin, Mary Anne
- Date: 2010-11-09T06:33:12Z
- Subjects: Industrial psychology , Leadership , Success , Ego (Psychology) , Temperament , Self-esteem
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:6959 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/3468
- Description: D.Phil. , “This thesis is a study about life, broken relationships, friendships, adapting to change and personal growth. It is a study about nurturing oneself and developing those qualities within oneself that will ensure a life of quality, harmony and inner peace. Autoethnography is an unconventional research method that is seldom used in qualitative research circles – the social sciences or human resource management spheres in South Africa. The contents of this thesis will be presented to an audience of social psychologists, social scientists, human resource managers, academics, school principals, teachers, parents, and divorcees, couples contemplating divorce, youth leaders and personal, interpersonal and professional leadership facilitators. The intention is to provide the reader with the opportunity to learn vicariously through the reading of the stories of other human beings, to identify with these stories and, as a result, to feel motivated to effect personal and social change. Reading about others enables us to learn more about ourselves and to feel in community with other human beings. This work presents an autoethnographic account of divorce and the emotional ramifications of this experience. Performance in the workplace is routinely compromised when individuals within the workplace are emotionally distressed. This thesis aims at highlighting the way in which coping strategies may motivate personal growth that will, in turn, enable the individual to adapt positively to change while performing optimally in the workplace. This work is set in the teaching environment of a primary school. The stories presented illustrate the myriad issues that are laid bare when worlds drift apart. Each story highlights challenges that will need to be addressed during the divorce process. The issues addressed in this thesis include love, compassion, leadership, values, principles, friendship, self-esteem, ego, selfexpression and forgiveness. The successful resolution of each challenge and the subsequent learning process will result in personal growth and a pervasive feeling of inner peace and harmony.
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The role of certain temperament dimensions in journalists who experience work related trauma: a comparative study
- Authors: Marais, Andrea
- Date: 2008-11-06T07:28:10Z
- Subjects: Job stress , Temperament , Stress (Psychology) , Journalists , Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:14612 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/1531
- Description: M.A. , The literature indicates that journalists who experience work related traumatic situations, are at risk for the development of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) (Teegen & Grotwinkel, 2001). Moreover, some journalists who develop this disorder do so after covering a relatively minor traumatic story (Castle, 2001). Certain temperament traits have been implicated as vulnerabilities to the development of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in police officers (Henning, 1999). Few research studies have investigated temperament and sense of coherence as mediating factors for occupational stress in journalists exposed to trauma. The aim of the present study was to address this dearth by investigating whether there are statistically significant differences in the experience of trauma, temperament traits and sense of coherence of journalists with varied responses to occupational stress and trauma. The Impact of Event Scale-Revised was used to divide journalists into three groups, namely those with minor reactions to trauma (n=10), moderate reactions (n=24) and severe reactions of clinical importance (n=16). The first group of hypotheses posed in the study pertains to group differences and postulates that the three groups will have statistically significant differences regarding trauma exposure. The second group of hypotheses deals with group differences and postulates that the three groups of journalists will differ regarding certain temperament dimensions. The third group of hypotheses formulated for the study proposes group differences regarding sense of coherence. Analysis of Variance followed by the Scheffé post hoc multiple comparisons technique indicated statistically significant differences between the three groups regarding experience of trauma as measured by the Trauma Questionnaire; certain temperament-personality traits as measured by the Personality Assessment Inventory and the Zuckerman-Kuhlman Personality Questionnaire; and sense of coherence as measured by The Sense of Coherence Questionnaire. The study revealed that the group with severe reactions to stress and trauma had been exposed to intense trauma involving people and that they report significant emotional reactions to the trauma. The Personality Assessment Inventory indicated that the severe reactions group has temperament profiles characterised by somatic complaints, anxiety, depression, paranoia, borderline features, aggression, suicidal ideation, stress and treatment rejection. This group also showed greater neuroticism-anxiety and aggression-hostility prone temperament types than the other two groups as well as lower comprehensibility and manageability as indicated by the Sense of Coherence Scale. The results of the present study exhibit support that there are various factors that could have an impact on how journalists deal with the traumatic stories they cover and what their personal outcomes are after covering these stories. Journalists who develop severe PTSD have different perceptions of the trauma, temperament profiles and sense of coherence that impact on their ways of coping with the traumatic situations they face daily. Criticism of the study deals mainly with gender, age, race and the subjects' pre-testing history, which were not controlled for. Another possible shortcoming of the research is that the journalists were sourced from main stream publications as well as community papers. This might have had an impact on the amount and type of trauma the journalists were exposed to. It would have been preferable to include a greater number of participants in the study to more efficiently address the many variables. Lastly, pre-trauma temperament traits were not controlled for, due to the complexity and ethical complications involved in the subject matter. It is recommended that age, gender, race, pre-testing history and pre-trauma traits is controlled. This will however require a large sample of journalists, which was not available for the present study. It would also be beneficial to compare frequency and type of trauma exposure, PTSD and temperament in a comparative study where community journalists are compared with main stream journalists. Lastly, the development of South African measures for temperament, PTSD and trauma would be highly advantageous to this field of research.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Marais, Andrea
- Date: 2008-11-06T07:28:10Z
- Subjects: Job stress , Temperament , Stress (Psychology) , Journalists , Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:14612 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/1531
- Description: M.A. , The literature indicates that journalists who experience work related traumatic situations, are at risk for the development of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) (Teegen & Grotwinkel, 2001). Moreover, some journalists who develop this disorder do so after covering a relatively minor traumatic story (Castle, 2001). Certain temperament traits have been implicated as vulnerabilities to the development of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in police officers (Henning, 1999). Few research studies have investigated temperament and sense of coherence as mediating factors for occupational stress in journalists exposed to trauma. The aim of the present study was to address this dearth by investigating whether there are statistically significant differences in the experience of trauma, temperament traits and sense of coherence of journalists with varied responses to occupational stress and trauma. The Impact of Event Scale-Revised was used to divide journalists into three groups, namely those with minor reactions to trauma (n=10), moderate reactions (n=24) and severe reactions of clinical importance (n=16). The first group of hypotheses posed in the study pertains to group differences and postulates that the three groups will have statistically significant differences regarding trauma exposure. The second group of hypotheses deals with group differences and postulates that the three groups of journalists will differ regarding certain temperament dimensions. The third group of hypotheses formulated for the study proposes group differences regarding sense of coherence. Analysis of Variance followed by the Scheffé post hoc multiple comparisons technique indicated statistically significant differences between the three groups regarding experience of trauma as measured by the Trauma Questionnaire; certain temperament-personality traits as measured by the Personality Assessment Inventory and the Zuckerman-Kuhlman Personality Questionnaire; and sense of coherence as measured by The Sense of Coherence Questionnaire. The study revealed that the group with severe reactions to stress and trauma had been exposed to intense trauma involving people and that they report significant emotional reactions to the trauma. The Personality Assessment Inventory indicated that the severe reactions group has temperament profiles characterised by somatic complaints, anxiety, depression, paranoia, borderline features, aggression, suicidal ideation, stress and treatment rejection. This group also showed greater neuroticism-anxiety and aggression-hostility prone temperament types than the other two groups as well as lower comprehensibility and manageability as indicated by the Sense of Coherence Scale. The results of the present study exhibit support that there are various factors that could have an impact on how journalists deal with the traumatic stories they cover and what their personal outcomes are after covering these stories. Journalists who develop severe PTSD have different perceptions of the trauma, temperament profiles and sense of coherence that impact on their ways of coping with the traumatic situations they face daily. Criticism of the study deals mainly with gender, age, race and the subjects' pre-testing history, which were not controlled for. Another possible shortcoming of the research is that the journalists were sourced from main stream publications as well as community papers. This might have had an impact on the amount and type of trauma the journalists were exposed to. It would have been preferable to include a greater number of participants in the study to more efficiently address the many variables. Lastly, pre-trauma temperament traits were not controlled for, due to the complexity and ethical complications involved in the subject matter. It is recommended that age, gender, race, pre-testing history and pre-trauma traits is controlled. This will however require a large sample of journalists, which was not available for the present study. It would also be beneficial to compare frequency and type of trauma exposure, PTSD and temperament in a comparative study where community journalists are compared with main stream journalists. Lastly, the development of South African measures for temperament, PTSD and trauma would be highly advantageous to this field of research.
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Holland's SDS classification system and temperament: a comparative study with estate agents
- Authors: Graf, Nicolette
- Date: 2008-11-06T07:23:33Z
- Subjects: Personality , Temperament , Real estate agents , Vocational guidance
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:14588 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/1511
- Description: M.A. , Since personality plays a very important role in the choice of career, it was decided to undertake a study whereby the personality traits of individuals of a particular career, namely that of estate agent was explored. The purpose of the study therefore, is to determine whether there are statistically significant differences in certain personality dimensions between estate agents who according to Holland (1997) fit the estate agents category and estate agents who according to Holland (1997) do not fit the estate agents category. Career counselling is discussed on the basis of the current literature on the topic. Career counselling entails matching an individual’s interests and abilities to a suitable career. The viewpoints regarding career counselling that are discussed in this study are the Trait and Factor theory, the career developmental approach of Super (1953) and Holland’s (1997) occupational interest theory. Holland’s (1997) theory is conceptualised in depth as his theory plays a large role in the current study. Furthermore, because personality plays a large role in an individual’s decision of career, various temperament and personality theories are discussed. The factors differentiating temperament from personality have also been included. Finally the relationship between personality and work is explained. The sample group consisted of 44 estate agents who work at one of three branches of the same real estate agency in Johannesburg. Holland’s (1994b) Self Directed Search (SDS) was used to establish the specific occupational three letter code of each of the participating estate agents. This code was compared to the code found in the Occupations Finder (1994a) which specifies the code established by Holland (1994a) as the suitable code for estate agents, (namely ESI). Based on their SDS codes, the participants were divided into two groups. Group one consisted of estate agents who have either ‘ES’ or ‘SE’ as the first two letters of their occupational code, in other words the estate agents closely resembling Holland’s (1994a) code and therefore those that fit the estate agents category according to Holland (1994a). Group two consisted of estate agents whose first two letters of their occupational code were neither ‘ES’ or ‘SE’, in other words the estate agents who do not closely resemble Holland’s (1994a) code and therefore those who do not fit the estate agents category according to Holland (1994a).
- Full Text:
- Authors: Graf, Nicolette
- Date: 2008-11-06T07:23:33Z
- Subjects: Personality , Temperament , Real estate agents , Vocational guidance
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:14588 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/1511
- Description: M.A. , Since personality plays a very important role in the choice of career, it was decided to undertake a study whereby the personality traits of individuals of a particular career, namely that of estate agent was explored. The purpose of the study therefore, is to determine whether there are statistically significant differences in certain personality dimensions between estate agents who according to Holland (1997) fit the estate agents category and estate agents who according to Holland (1997) do not fit the estate agents category. Career counselling is discussed on the basis of the current literature on the topic. Career counselling entails matching an individual’s interests and abilities to a suitable career. The viewpoints regarding career counselling that are discussed in this study are the Trait and Factor theory, the career developmental approach of Super (1953) and Holland’s (1997) occupational interest theory. Holland’s (1997) theory is conceptualised in depth as his theory plays a large role in the current study. Furthermore, because personality plays a large role in an individual’s decision of career, various temperament and personality theories are discussed. The factors differentiating temperament from personality have also been included. Finally the relationship between personality and work is explained. The sample group consisted of 44 estate agents who work at one of three branches of the same real estate agency in Johannesburg. Holland’s (1994b) Self Directed Search (SDS) was used to establish the specific occupational three letter code of each of the participating estate agents. This code was compared to the code found in the Occupations Finder (1994a) which specifies the code established by Holland (1994a) as the suitable code for estate agents, (namely ESI). Based on their SDS codes, the participants were divided into two groups. Group one consisted of estate agents who have either ‘ES’ or ‘SE’ as the first two letters of their occupational code, in other words the estate agents closely resembling Holland’s (1994a) code and therefore those that fit the estate agents category according to Holland (1994a). Group two consisted of estate agents whose first two letters of their occupational code were neither ‘ES’ or ‘SE’, in other words the estate agents who do not closely resemble Holland’s (1994a) code and therefore those who do not fit the estate agents category according to Holland (1994a).
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Die teoretiese en empiriese verwantskappe tussen besluitneming, temperament en samehangendheidsin
- Authors: Cloete, Lynette
- Date: 2008-10-31T09:12:18Z
- Subjects: Temperament , Decision making , Coherence (Psychology)
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:13933 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/1428
- Description: D.Litt. et Phil. , The aim of this study was to determine possible relationships between sense of coherence, temperament and decision-making and to explore the nature of these relationships. The study was based on the assumption that people attempt to make sense of complex environments and that differences in certain biological and psychological characteristics may lead to differences in the way that people make decisions in complex environments. Temperament was defined as a biological or physiological aspect that influences human behaviour. Sense of coherence was conceptualised as a psychological, global orientation that influences the way in which individuals understand their environments and can therefore give rise to individual differences in behaviour. Decision-making style was defined as a specific behavioural manifestation of the manner in which individuals make sense of complex environments and it was postulated that decision-making would probably be influenced by temperament and sense of coherence. In order to explore the current study’s research questions, a sample of 189 third year and Honours students in Psychology at a tertiary institution was used. The ages of the participants ranged from 19 tot 34 years and the average age was 22 years. More women (91.5%) participated in the study than men (8.5%). As a result of practicalities it was impossible to use a random sample. Three self-report measurements were used to respectively measure sense of coherence, temperament and decision-making style. These were the Orientation to Life Questionnaire, Pavlovian Temperament Survey and Melbourne Decision Making Questionnaire. The Pavlovian Temperament Survey measures three characteristics of the nervous system namely Strength of Excitation, Strength of Inhibition and Mobility of the Nervous Processes. An additional sub-scale was added to measure Balance of the Nervous Processes. The Orientation to Life Questionnaire measures Comprehensibility, Manageability, Meaningfulness as well as total Sense of Coherence. The Melbourne Decision Making Questionnaire measures four decision-making styles: one effective style, Vigilance and three ineffective styles, Procrastination, Hypervigilance and Buck Passing. The raw data that were collected from the completed questionnaires were subjected to several statistical analyses. The data were tested for normality of sub-scale distributions, which lead to logistical regression analyses being used to determine if temperament and sense of coherence can predict differences in decision-making style. Pearson product moment correlations as well as canonical correlations were also used. Multiple analyses of variance were used to determine whether biographical variables could account for any differences in sense of coherence, temperament and decision-making style. The results indicated that differences due to language, year of study or work status did not affect scores with regard to sense of coherence, temperament or decision-making style. The sample could therefore be regarded as quite homogeneous and the effect of confounding variables could be limited. However, generalisability of the results was also compromised. It was found that Strength of Excitation, Strength of Inhibition and Mobility of the Nervous Processes displayed relationships with Sense of coherence as well as the individual aspects of sense of coherence namely Comprehensibility, Manageability and Meaningfulness. This finding points to the possibility that physiological responses and psychological assessment of complex environments are related. Even though Balance of the Nervous Processes was not indicated as related to sense of coherence, it was found that this characteristic of the nervous system may possibly relate to decision-making. In line with these findings, the results indicated the possibility of relationships between a person’s psychological assessment of situations and behavioural outcomes as relationships were found between sense of coherence and decision-making style. It was indicated that certain temperament dimensions possibly displays an inverse relationship with decision-making styles, and especially the use of a hypervigilant decision-making style. However, the role of temperament in the use of a vigilant decision-making style is unclear. Lastly, the results indicated that the emotional assessment of stimuli as meaningful and challenging may possibly give rise to the use of a vigilant decision-making style. The assessment of situations as chaotic and unstructured could possibly relate more to the use of ineffective decision-making styles. An overall conclusion that can be made is that relationships between sense of coherence, temperament and decision-making style do indeed exist but that the nature of the relationships is quite complex. It seems as if different mechanisms are at play with regard to determining the use of effective and ineffective decision-making styles. These mechanisms could possibly lie in the emotional and cognitive assessments of situations. It seems as if a healthy emotional assessment of situations as challenging and meaningful precede the use of an effective, cognitively-based decision-making style. The cognitive assessment of situations as chaotic and unstructured could possibly lead to a more emotional decision-making response and decisions may be postponed, its responsibility may be shifted or it may be handled in a panicky manner. The results of this study should be interpreted with care since the sample was quite homogeneous and not particularly large. The exclusive use of the Melbourne Decision Making Questionnaire to measure decision-making is also problematic and the inclusion of an objective measurement of decision-making efficiency would have been preferable. It is also unclear whether reported decision-making style is equal to true decision-making style. Lastly, it was also decided to move away from Antonovsky’s (1987) recommendations that sense of coherence be treated as one global construct and the individual sub-scales were analysed separately. Future research can make use of similar variables and statistical techniques with bigger and more diverse samples to facilitate the development of an explanatory model for behaviour within complex environments. If the same variables are used, other measurements should be included to expand the conceptual framework. Future research could also test the current findings in practice for example in training or therapy.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Cloete, Lynette
- Date: 2008-10-31T09:12:18Z
- Subjects: Temperament , Decision making , Coherence (Psychology)
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:13933 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/1428
- Description: D.Litt. et Phil. , The aim of this study was to determine possible relationships between sense of coherence, temperament and decision-making and to explore the nature of these relationships. The study was based on the assumption that people attempt to make sense of complex environments and that differences in certain biological and psychological characteristics may lead to differences in the way that people make decisions in complex environments. Temperament was defined as a biological or physiological aspect that influences human behaviour. Sense of coherence was conceptualised as a psychological, global orientation that influences the way in which individuals understand their environments and can therefore give rise to individual differences in behaviour. Decision-making style was defined as a specific behavioural manifestation of the manner in which individuals make sense of complex environments and it was postulated that decision-making would probably be influenced by temperament and sense of coherence. In order to explore the current study’s research questions, a sample of 189 third year and Honours students in Psychology at a tertiary institution was used. The ages of the participants ranged from 19 tot 34 years and the average age was 22 years. More women (91.5%) participated in the study than men (8.5%). As a result of practicalities it was impossible to use a random sample. Three self-report measurements were used to respectively measure sense of coherence, temperament and decision-making style. These were the Orientation to Life Questionnaire, Pavlovian Temperament Survey and Melbourne Decision Making Questionnaire. The Pavlovian Temperament Survey measures three characteristics of the nervous system namely Strength of Excitation, Strength of Inhibition and Mobility of the Nervous Processes. An additional sub-scale was added to measure Balance of the Nervous Processes. The Orientation to Life Questionnaire measures Comprehensibility, Manageability, Meaningfulness as well as total Sense of Coherence. The Melbourne Decision Making Questionnaire measures four decision-making styles: one effective style, Vigilance and three ineffective styles, Procrastination, Hypervigilance and Buck Passing. The raw data that were collected from the completed questionnaires were subjected to several statistical analyses. The data were tested for normality of sub-scale distributions, which lead to logistical regression analyses being used to determine if temperament and sense of coherence can predict differences in decision-making style. Pearson product moment correlations as well as canonical correlations were also used. Multiple analyses of variance were used to determine whether biographical variables could account for any differences in sense of coherence, temperament and decision-making style. The results indicated that differences due to language, year of study or work status did not affect scores with regard to sense of coherence, temperament or decision-making style. The sample could therefore be regarded as quite homogeneous and the effect of confounding variables could be limited. However, generalisability of the results was also compromised. It was found that Strength of Excitation, Strength of Inhibition and Mobility of the Nervous Processes displayed relationships with Sense of coherence as well as the individual aspects of sense of coherence namely Comprehensibility, Manageability and Meaningfulness. This finding points to the possibility that physiological responses and psychological assessment of complex environments are related. Even though Balance of the Nervous Processes was not indicated as related to sense of coherence, it was found that this characteristic of the nervous system may possibly relate to decision-making. In line with these findings, the results indicated the possibility of relationships between a person’s psychological assessment of situations and behavioural outcomes as relationships were found between sense of coherence and decision-making style. It was indicated that certain temperament dimensions possibly displays an inverse relationship with decision-making styles, and especially the use of a hypervigilant decision-making style. However, the role of temperament in the use of a vigilant decision-making style is unclear. Lastly, the results indicated that the emotional assessment of stimuli as meaningful and challenging may possibly give rise to the use of a vigilant decision-making style. The assessment of situations as chaotic and unstructured could possibly relate more to the use of ineffective decision-making styles. An overall conclusion that can be made is that relationships between sense of coherence, temperament and decision-making style do indeed exist but that the nature of the relationships is quite complex. It seems as if different mechanisms are at play with regard to determining the use of effective and ineffective decision-making styles. These mechanisms could possibly lie in the emotional and cognitive assessments of situations. It seems as if a healthy emotional assessment of situations as challenging and meaningful precede the use of an effective, cognitively-based decision-making style. The cognitive assessment of situations as chaotic and unstructured could possibly lead to a more emotional decision-making response and decisions may be postponed, its responsibility may be shifted or it may be handled in a panicky manner. The results of this study should be interpreted with care since the sample was quite homogeneous and not particularly large. The exclusive use of the Melbourne Decision Making Questionnaire to measure decision-making is also problematic and the inclusion of an objective measurement of decision-making efficiency would have been preferable. It is also unclear whether reported decision-making style is equal to true decision-making style. Lastly, it was also decided to move away from Antonovsky’s (1987) recommendations that sense of coherence be treated as one global construct and the individual sub-scales were analysed separately. Future research can make use of similar variables and statistical techniques with bigger and more diverse samples to facilitate the development of an explanatory model for behaviour within complex environments. If the same variables are used, other measurements should be included to expand the conceptual framework. Future research could also test the current findings in practice for example in training or therapy.
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