A comparative study of the performance of English and Xhosa speaking children on the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R)
- Authors: Runciman, Carey Lynn
- Date: 1996 , 2013-10-03
- Subjects: Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children -- Cross-cultural studies , Children -- Intelligence testing , Psychological tests -- Cross-cultural studies , Educational tests and measurements -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSocSc
- Identifier: vital:3150 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007467 , Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children -- Cross-cultural studies , Children -- Intelligence testing , Psychological tests -- Cross-cultural studies , Educational tests and measurements -- South Africa
- Description: The purpose of this study was to compare the WISC-R subtest score scatter patterns and obtain preliminary normative data on the WISC-R Adjunctive tests (Digit Span Forward; Digit Span Backward; Digit Supraspan; Coding Immediate Recall and Coding Delayed Recall) on a non-clinical population of South African English (n= 15) and Xhosa (n= 12) speaking, standard six children, studying in English medium schools. Tests were administered to 27 subjects, both male (n=19) and female (n=8), with a mean age of 14.1 years (range = 13.3-15.3). The results show that White English speaking children outperform Black Xhosa speaking children on Verbal, Performance and Full Scale IQs and all subtests, but that these differences tended to disappear when Full Scale IQ and school grade average were controlled for. No subtest score scatter was present for either group although more specific test items appeared to be more difficult for Xhosa speaking subjects and may have contributed to generally lowered scores. Results suggest that caution must be employed in assigning Xhosa speaking South African children to absolute IQ categories. However, the WISC-R has validity for diagnostic use on both White English speaking and Black Xhosa speaking South African children as there was no evidence of a significant Verbal IQ/Performance IQ discrepancy, or significant low subtest scatter for either group. Normative tables are presented for the use of WISC-R Adjunctive tests. , KMBT_363 , Adobe Acrobat 9.54 Paper Capture Plug-in
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1996
- Authors: Runciman, Carey Lynn
- Date: 1996 , 2013-10-03
- Subjects: Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children -- Cross-cultural studies , Children -- Intelligence testing , Psychological tests -- Cross-cultural studies , Educational tests and measurements -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSocSc
- Identifier: vital:3150 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007467 , Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children -- Cross-cultural studies , Children -- Intelligence testing , Psychological tests -- Cross-cultural studies , Educational tests and measurements -- South Africa
- Description: The purpose of this study was to compare the WISC-R subtest score scatter patterns and obtain preliminary normative data on the WISC-R Adjunctive tests (Digit Span Forward; Digit Span Backward; Digit Supraspan; Coding Immediate Recall and Coding Delayed Recall) on a non-clinical population of South African English (n= 15) and Xhosa (n= 12) speaking, standard six children, studying in English medium schools. Tests were administered to 27 subjects, both male (n=19) and female (n=8), with a mean age of 14.1 years (range = 13.3-15.3). The results show that White English speaking children outperform Black Xhosa speaking children on Verbal, Performance and Full Scale IQs and all subtests, but that these differences tended to disappear when Full Scale IQ and school grade average were controlled for. No subtest score scatter was present for either group although more specific test items appeared to be more difficult for Xhosa speaking subjects and may have contributed to generally lowered scores. Results suggest that caution must be employed in assigning Xhosa speaking South African children to absolute IQ categories. However, the WISC-R has validity for diagnostic use on both White English speaking and Black Xhosa speaking South African children as there was no evidence of a significant Verbal IQ/Performance IQ discrepancy, or significant low subtest scatter for either group. Normative tables are presented for the use of WISC-R Adjunctive tests. , KMBT_363 , Adobe Acrobat 9.54 Paper Capture Plug-in
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1996
A cross-cultural study of eating disordered behaviour in female university residence students
- Authors: Geach, Michele Fiona
- Date: 1996
- Subjects: Eating disorders -- South Africa -- Cross-cultural studies Women college students -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSocSc
- Identifier: vital:3197 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1009452
- Description: The compilation of information on the incidence of eating disorders in South African university residence women has been identified as an urgent matter by the National Eating Disorders Coordinating Committee (NEDCC). This study was undertaken to determine the degree of eating disordered behaviour across cultures in female university residence students from the University of Natal, Durban and Pietermaritzburg campuses, and the University of Durban Westville. The Eating Disorder Inventory (EDI) was completed by 39 black, 41 white, 6 Indian and 4 Coloured students. It was hypothesised that white women would show higher rates of disordered eating; that black women in more advanced years of study ie. those who are more acculturated, would show more disordered eating behaviour than first year black students; that black females would demonstrate higher Body Mass Index (BMI) scores than white students; and that a positive relationship would be found between Socio-economic status (SES) and disordered eating. The results of this study indicated that there was no significant difference in disordered eating among black and white female students. Degree of disordered eating did not increase with year of study. Although black students demonstrated significantly higher BMI scores than white students, there was no difference in body dissatisfaction scores. Furthermore there was no relationship found between SES and degree of disordered eating behaviour. An attempt is made to explain these results by exploring the role of acculturation to Western appearance standards.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1996
- Authors: Geach, Michele Fiona
- Date: 1996
- Subjects: Eating disorders -- South Africa -- Cross-cultural studies Women college students -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSocSc
- Identifier: vital:3197 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1009452
- Description: The compilation of information on the incidence of eating disorders in South African university residence women has been identified as an urgent matter by the National Eating Disorders Coordinating Committee (NEDCC). This study was undertaken to determine the degree of eating disordered behaviour across cultures in female university residence students from the University of Natal, Durban and Pietermaritzburg campuses, and the University of Durban Westville. The Eating Disorder Inventory (EDI) was completed by 39 black, 41 white, 6 Indian and 4 Coloured students. It was hypothesised that white women would show higher rates of disordered eating; that black women in more advanced years of study ie. those who are more acculturated, would show more disordered eating behaviour than first year black students; that black females would demonstrate higher Body Mass Index (BMI) scores than white students; and that a positive relationship would be found between Socio-economic status (SES) and disordered eating. The results of this study indicated that there was no significant difference in disordered eating among black and white female students. Degree of disordered eating did not increase with year of study. Although black students demonstrated significantly higher BMI scores than white students, there was no difference in body dissatisfaction scores. Furthermore there was no relationship found between SES and degree of disordered eating behaviour. An attempt is made to explain these results by exploring the role of acculturation to Western appearance standards.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1996
Economic incentives in controlling pollution in the South African leather industry
- Authors: Mowat, Shaun Phillip
- Date: 1996
- Subjects: Leather industry and trade -- South Africa , Tanneries -- Waste disposal -- Economic aspects
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSocSc
- Identifier: vital:1010 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002745 , Leather industry and trade -- South Africa , Tanneries -- Waste disposal -- Economic aspects
- Description: The objective of the research was to ascertain whether, when compared to a system'of standards, the theoretical promise that economic incentives offered as a low cost solution to the abatement problem, would hold in practice. This was done by applying environmental economic theory to the practical problem of controlling the effluent generated by firms in the South African leather industry. It was found that in this instance the theory did indeed hold in practice. Furthermore, it was found that of the incentives discussed by the theory, marketable permits were the most economically efficient. It was however shown that a charge - not discussed in the ., theory - based on a central treatment agency's (CTA) cost of treatment offered the least cost solution to the abatement problem when the CTA could do at least some of the effluent treatment at a lower cost than the firms. - In addition a formula was developed to show the net benefits accruing to an individual firm if it undertook to treat its effluent. It was shown that in order to maximise the total benefits of treatment, a firm should treat until its net benefits of treatment were zero. A number of problem however were found to exist when the theory was applied to a practical situation. The most important was the "stepped" nature of the firms marginal abatement cost curves which meant that the setting of a charge based on a trial and error method would prove to be more difficult than the theory envisaged. Furthermore, it meant that no matter what method of pollution control was used, it would prove i~possible to reduce effluent to an optimal level. It was recommended that greater use be made of economic incentives to control all industrial effluent. It would nonetheless be necessary to do more research in this field as the theory was not tailor made for all practical situations. Further evidence of the viability of economic incentives could however encourage wider use by policy makers.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1996
- Authors: Mowat, Shaun Phillip
- Date: 1996
- Subjects: Leather industry and trade -- South Africa , Tanneries -- Waste disposal -- Economic aspects
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSocSc
- Identifier: vital:1010 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002745 , Leather industry and trade -- South Africa , Tanneries -- Waste disposal -- Economic aspects
- Description: The objective of the research was to ascertain whether, when compared to a system'of standards, the theoretical promise that economic incentives offered as a low cost solution to the abatement problem, would hold in practice. This was done by applying environmental economic theory to the practical problem of controlling the effluent generated by firms in the South African leather industry. It was found that in this instance the theory did indeed hold in practice. Furthermore, it was found that of the incentives discussed by the theory, marketable permits were the most economically efficient. It was however shown that a charge - not discussed in the ., theory - based on a central treatment agency's (CTA) cost of treatment offered the least cost solution to the abatement problem when the CTA could do at least some of the effluent treatment at a lower cost than the firms. - In addition a formula was developed to show the net benefits accruing to an individual firm if it undertook to treat its effluent. It was shown that in order to maximise the total benefits of treatment, a firm should treat until its net benefits of treatment were zero. A number of problem however were found to exist when the theory was applied to a practical situation. The most important was the "stepped" nature of the firms marginal abatement cost curves which meant that the setting of a charge based on a trial and error method would prove to be more difficult than the theory envisaged. Furthermore, it meant that no matter what method of pollution control was used, it would prove i~possible to reduce effluent to an optimal level. It was recommended that greater use be made of economic incentives to control all industrial effluent. It would nonetheless be necessary to do more research in this field as the theory was not tailor made for all practical situations. Further evidence of the viability of economic incentives could however encourage wider use by policy makers.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1996
Foster care as a form of substitute care in the black community : an exploratory-descriptive study
- Authors: Sishuta, Happy Babalwa
- Date: 1996
- Subjects: Foster home care -- South Africa , Kinship care -- South Africa , Children, Black -- Services for -- South Africa , Black people -- Services for -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSocSc
- Identifier: vital:3282 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1006505 , Foster home care -- South Africa , Kinship care -- South Africa , Children, Black -- Services for -- South Africa , Black people -- Services for -- South Africa
- Description: Kinship care is increasingly supplementing the more traditional forms of out-of-home care. Because related foster care has potential great value, the possibility of placement with relatives needs to be explored first. At its best it provides the child love and security with known people and possibly in a familiar environment. Yet, important as it is, this area of practice is seriously underdeveloped - few publications especially in South Africa exist on how children fare in this arrangement. This situation exists in spite of the fact that many children find themselves in both legal as well as privately arranged related foster care placements. Equally of course no comprehensive study has been undertaken to study the black family's perception of formal foster care and their adjustment to formal foster care practice which for many is a new encounter in their lives. More clarity on these issues pertaining to kinship care will not only improve our understanding but can lead to a better service. Socio-political influences have weakened the mutual aid system in African families. This has resulted in needs· and problems which the African family find it difficult to deal with. This has prompted families to make use of non-family support particularly services from specialized and other welfare agencies. Formal foster care is a foreign practice to the black community as a result of their tradition and custom. It offers a new method of coping with child care problems and indicates a shift from the conventional patterns among South African blacks. As a result there is often confusion and a lack of understanding, making the community not to make proper use of this service. This study is exploratory-descriptive. The sample comprised thirty foster parents. The main objective of this study was to investigate the nature and practice of formal foster care in the black community with specific emphasis on related foster care and its perception. The study has raised a number of issues for practice and policy consideration. Notable findings were: the need to (1) promote much more active involvement of foster parents, foster child and their families (2) educate the community about foster care (3) prepare, train, support and supervise foster parents. The study revealed that these placements have become indistinguishable from natural parenthood and the foster children have become absorbed into the foster family. A need exists for permanency planning in foster care. It is hoped that the research findings will contribute to the existing body of knowledge and that more studies will be undertaken in future.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1996
- Authors: Sishuta, Happy Babalwa
- Date: 1996
- Subjects: Foster home care -- South Africa , Kinship care -- South Africa , Children, Black -- Services for -- South Africa , Black people -- Services for -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSocSc
- Identifier: vital:3282 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1006505 , Foster home care -- South Africa , Kinship care -- South Africa , Children, Black -- Services for -- South Africa , Black people -- Services for -- South Africa
- Description: Kinship care is increasingly supplementing the more traditional forms of out-of-home care. Because related foster care has potential great value, the possibility of placement with relatives needs to be explored first. At its best it provides the child love and security with known people and possibly in a familiar environment. Yet, important as it is, this area of practice is seriously underdeveloped - few publications especially in South Africa exist on how children fare in this arrangement. This situation exists in spite of the fact that many children find themselves in both legal as well as privately arranged related foster care placements. Equally of course no comprehensive study has been undertaken to study the black family's perception of formal foster care and their adjustment to formal foster care practice which for many is a new encounter in their lives. More clarity on these issues pertaining to kinship care will not only improve our understanding but can lead to a better service. Socio-political influences have weakened the mutual aid system in African families. This has resulted in needs· and problems which the African family find it difficult to deal with. This has prompted families to make use of non-family support particularly services from specialized and other welfare agencies. Formal foster care is a foreign practice to the black community as a result of their tradition and custom. It offers a new method of coping with child care problems and indicates a shift from the conventional patterns among South African blacks. As a result there is often confusion and a lack of understanding, making the community not to make proper use of this service. This study is exploratory-descriptive. The sample comprised thirty foster parents. The main objective of this study was to investigate the nature and practice of formal foster care in the black community with specific emphasis on related foster care and its perception. The study has raised a number of issues for practice and policy consideration. Notable findings were: the need to (1) promote much more active involvement of foster parents, foster child and their families (2) educate the community about foster care (3) prepare, train, support and supervise foster parents. The study revealed that these placements have become indistinguishable from natural parenthood and the foster children have become absorbed into the foster family. A need exists for permanency planning in foster care. It is hoped that the research findings will contribute to the existing body of knowledge and that more studies will be undertaken in future.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1996
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